Not Like The Rest
by The Legend of Rune Factory
Summary: *Sequel to Elsa's Normal Life* Freja, next in line for the throne, has been called "The Ice Princess" on more than one occasion due to her wintry magic. Unlike Elsa, however, she can't stand her own abilities, so much so that she refuses to inherit the crown. Add an ambassador's son and her hapless twin cousins into the mix, and life is anything but normal.
1. Prologue

**Welcome to the sequel of ****_Elsa's Normal Life_****. At the end of that story (which I highly suggest reading before this one; it's only ten chapters, you'll be fine), Elsa finally admitted she was beginning to have an interest in Leif, who came back to Arendelle after a two-year absence. In that time, Anna and Kristoff were married and are the proud parents of twins Gregory and Hilde. **

**So, now, years later, the crazy adventures of the Arendelle royal family continue! Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I only own Freja, Gregory, Hilde, Leif, and any other OCs I decide to add.  
**

* * *

The floorboards creaked as three pairs of tiny feet crept across the wood, trying their best to be sneaky. They stopped for a moment in hopes that the two adults sleeping in the bed remained so. The tallest, a young boy, sighed in relief. He motioned for the other two. "All right, let's go!" He whispered.

"Gregory, I don't think this is a good idea…" The smallest and youngest of the group wrung her hands. "I don't want Mama to get mad!"

"It'll be fine!" Gregory grinned in the half-darkness. "Mom told us that she used to do this all the time."

The little girl nodded weakly, still unconvinced. She didn't think waking up her own mother, Queen of Arendelle, in the morning was a good idea. The drapes were closed in the room, casting it in darkness, but she knew the sun shone brightly outside. There was a reason for that, she thought; perhaps her mother had been up late, again, working.

"Freja, come on!" The other girl grabbed her hand.

The three children gathered around the left side of the bed, watching the person in question sleep soundly. Her snowy hair tumbled around her face and shoulders. She turned over on her side, facing them. Her eyes were still closed in slumber.

"You do it." Gregory pushed Freja closer. "It's _your_ mom!"

"I don't wanna! You do it!" Freja wriggled away from him.

The third child sighed and stepped up. "Aunt Elsa?" She whispered. "Aunt Elsa?" She whispered again, only a bit louder.

The woman moaned softly, her eyes opening a fraction. "Hm…? What is it?" Her voice was thick with sleep.

"We wanted to know if you'd do the magic!" Gregory, unable to contain his excitement, veritably shoved his sister out of the way.

"The… The magic? Huh…" Elsa made the motion to get up when she simply fell back against the mattress. "Ugh…" She yawned and closed her eyes again. "The magic, sure…"

"Mama, it's past seven o'clock." Freja placed her little hand on her mother's arm and shook it gently.

At this, Elsa's icy eyes snapped open. She nudged her husband. "Leif! You were supposed to wake me up!"

He groaned. "Go back to sleep, Ellie…"

"I can't very well do that now when I'm supposed to be awake." She sighed and pushed back the blankets. It was then that she truly noticed the three children. "What are you three doing here?" She blinked rapidly.

"We… We were hoping you'd do the magic…" Gregory smiled up at his aunt sheepishly.

She stood up and stretched. "I suppose I can…" As the children laughed with joy, she held up her hand. "But not for too long."

"That's okay!" He grabbed her other hand and began pulling her to the hallway. "Let's go!"

She smiled at her nephew, so much like her younger sister. "Hilde, you were in on this too?" She glanced at her niece.

"Yep! I… I like it when you do the magic." Hilde ducked her head.

Soon the four of them were dashing down the hallway, Elsa's long strides keeping up with the children. She noticed her daughter held back. "Is something wrong?" She stopped and placed her hand on the girl's platinum blonde head, almost the same color as her own.

"N-no, Mama. I'm okay."

Elsa stopped her and knelt. "Come on. Let's catch up to your cousins." She motioned for her daughter to jump on her back.

Freja clambered onto her mother, latching her arms about the queen's neck. "Thank you," She squeaked.

"Of course, dear." Elsa stood and began jogging to where Gregory and Hilde impatiently waited at the top of the stairs.

Freja buried her face in her mother's hair, smelling a hint of the perfume she wore still clinging. To her other family members, Elsa always felt cold; to her, she felt warm. Freja loved her mother, she loved both her parents, but she could not help but feel fear around the queen. She didn't want to tell her her darkest secret. In her six-year-old mind, Elsa would be angry. She would be furious that little Freja accidentally froze and cracked one of the windows in her bedroom. Freja clung tighter to her mother, not wanting to think about it. She felt guilty, oh-so-guilty, and she dreaded the day anyone found out, especially Elsa.

The little princess whimpered as she felt frost begin to creep to her fingertips, coating her mother's nightgown in white.

* * *

**I have a confession: I have a vague, very vague, idea where to go with this. Please, let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear them! Besides, I need ideas...**


	2. At The Breakfast Table

**Thank you guys so much for the reviews and whatnot! I guess I should have specified what all I needed ideas for. This chapter was already written at the time I posted the prologue, but I enjoyed the ideas I did recieve, and I thank you. **

**Anyway, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: ****I only own Freja, Gregory, Hilde, Leif, and any other OCs I decide to add.**

* * *

The royal family of Arendelle, though not necessarily agreeing on everything or seeing eye-to-eye all the time, made a point of sitting down to every meal. Queen Elsa would sit at one end of the long dining table whilst her husband, Leif, sat at the other end. Then Elsa's younger sister, Princess Anna, and her own family—husband Kristoff and twins Gregory and Hilde—filled in the rest of the chairs except one. The single chair left was saved for Princess Freja, next in line for the throne.

This morning, however, Elsa noticed her daughter's chair remained empty. Normally the young girl sat between Gregory and Hilde to stop any kind of sibling rivalry that cropped up during the meal. She looked to her husband. "Leif, have you seen Freja?"

He shook his head. "Not since last night." He looked to the twins. "Have either of you seen her?"

Gregory shrugged and went to stab more of his ham. "Nope! Haven't seen her. I mean, I saw her yesterday when I walked in on her in the library. Ha, _boy_, was she mad at me. I didn't even do anythi—"

"So no, he hasn't." Hilde shot him a glare. "I haven't either."

Elsa placed her napkin back on the table and pushed back her chair to stand. "I'll go get her. She probably just went back to sleep."

"No need, Mother."

They turned to see Freja standing in the doorway. She walked to the table and sat down in her place quietly. "I apologize." She tucked a strand of snowy hair that managed to escape her headband behind her ear.

Elsa resettled herself. "It's no problem. I was just curious."

Freja grimly nodded, her eyes downcast.

Anna cleared her throat. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"I have some ice to deliver this afternoon."

"I've got some crystal to order."

"I figured I'd help Dad!"

"I'm not sure what I want to do with my day…"

Elsa turned her head to gaze at her daughter. "This morning I put aside some time for your lessons, Freja. I'll be busy this afternoon."

"Don't worry about it, Mother." Freja clenched her jaw, forcing a smile on her lips. "I'll be fine."

"No, no. I haven't been able to do so for a few days now. I promised you." The queen smiled warmly. "After breakfast, we can start."

The princess frowned down at her food. "Yes Mother…"

"Something bothering you, princess?" Leif put his fork down on his plate. His eyes softened as he gazed at her.

"No, I'm just tired." Freja shoved a roll into her mouth before he could ask her any more questions.

Hilde nudged her gently and offered her a small smile. "Later?"

"Later." She nodded.

"Hey, why do you tell Hilde everything?! Why can't I know?" Gregory stared at the two girls.

"Because you're a _boy_, Greg." His sister smirked. "Y'know, for an _adult_ you can be pretty dumb sometimes."

He furrowed his eyebrows together and inhaled sharply. "Yeah, well, you can be too! Like yesterday when you ran straight into a door! O-or when you were trying to feed Gunter and he knocked you over and you almost landed in a pile of—"

"That's enough, you two." Anna glared at them both. "Gregory, apologize to your sister."

The prince sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, Hilde."

"Good. Now Hilde…"

"I forgive you." Hilde rested her cheek in her palm. "And I'm sorry too."

Kristoff cleared his throat. "Great. Now let's keep it that way, all right?"

Elsa giggled and turned to her sister with a smile. "Well, you certainly know how to keep your children in line."

"It's an art form sometimes." Anna returned it before she kept eating.

Freja, meanwhile, shrunk back into her chair. "It's hard to believe you two are eighteen…"

"_Hey!_" The twins converged on her with a cry of indignation.

"And now I believe breakfast is over." Elsa pushed back her chair and stood up. "Freja, meet me in the Great Hall when you're ready. And Leif." She turned to him. "Remember, I need to speak with you after lunch this afternoon."

His eyebrows shot up. "Oh-ho. Is it going to be a royal talk or a wifely talk?"

Her cheeks took on a pink hue. "Leif, not now!" She hissed, tossing him a glare.

"I'm kidding! Lighten up, Ellie," He laughed.

The queen rolled her eyes with a smile and took her leave. Once she was gone, her husband stood. He glanced over at his daughter. "Do not keep your mother waiting, Freja." His voice turned serious with almost a warning tone to it. "It's for your own good."

She winced at his words. "Yes Father." She stared down into her platter, dreading the coming hours.

* * *

"You're getting better, Freja!" Elsa smiled brightly at her daughter's progress. "Very good."

Freja simply nodded and concentrated on the extremely detailed sculpture before her. Ever since she finally revealed her abilities to her parents, her mother insisted on training her. Because of her strict discipline regarding the magic, she never had a need to wear the gloves; her powers were already under enough control. Both parents encouraged her to release her pent-up feelings in her free time with her magic and to talk to either them if she ever needed, Elsa especially. She never really took them up on any of their offers.

Already at sixteen years of age, she possessed almost the same amount of control over her magic as Elsa. Unlike her mother, however, she lacked the ability to melt anything. "True love with thaw a frozen heart" she'd been told; true love was something she was in desperate need of.

"There." Freja let her tired arms fall to her sides. She smiled as she gazed up at the statue. It was of her mother, in all her queenly glory.

Elsa stepped next to her. "It's beautiful, dear." She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "But… Is my nose _really_ that big?"

"W-what?!" Freja glanced from the statue's face to her mother's and back again, many times.

The queen laughed with a rather un-sophisticated snort. "I'm teasing you, Freja! It's perfect. It's more than perfect." She wrapped an arm around the princess. "Someday, when you take over Arendelle, you are going to look just like that: regal, strong, authoritative—"

"No." Freja wriggled away.

"No? What do you mean, no?" Elsa gazed at her, confused.

"I'm not going to be queen, Mother." Freja clenched her hands at her sides to avoid freezing something. "I don't want to be queen."

Elsa smiled softly. "You don't have a choice, dear."

"Then let Aunt Anna do it! Or Hilde, or Gregory, or anybody but _me_! The people of Arendelle deserve someone that isn't a monster."

"Freja, you're not a monster. You're just a little different from them, that's all."

She shook her head, light green eyes flashing. "_Different_? I'm an ice-throwing _freak_ for god's sake!"

"We are the same, Freja. I understand not liking who you are." Elsa took a step toward her. "But you have to learn to accept it. Your powers are not going to just disappear overnight. You were born with them, and you'll just have to live with them."

Freja knew the ground beneath her was turning to ice. She didn't care; she didn't care about much of anything. "Why, Mother?" She whimpered, looking her in the face. "Why did you have to…to bring me into this world?"

"I didn't know you were going to be like me." Elsa tried to swallow the pain that welled within her. "But I love you anyway, Freja. Ice magic and all."

"Well I don't. I hate it. I hate everything about it!" She turned on her heel and began walking off. "I hate being cold and ice and snow and winter and… _Everything_!"

Elsa reached out for her. "Freja, you get back here!" She shot a blast of ice toward the ground, hoping to stop her.

Freja simply turned and deflected it with one of her own. "No. Not this time." She whirled around and ran into the hallway, leaving her mother alone.

The queen looked to the statue Freja spent the better part of their lesson crafting. With a cry she melted it, more causing it to explode into tiny ice crystals that clattered along the hardwood floor than anything. She fought the urge to sink to her knees and instead focused on breathing.

"You didn't have to do that, you know."

"Would you rather me freeze the castle, again?"

"You were pregnant at the time and had a very good reason. I shouldn't have joked about your hair."

She felt his warm arms wrap around her. She sighed and rested against him, breathing in his scent. "Leif, what are we supposed to do?"

"Freja is just going through a phase. She'll grow out of it. Don't you remember being sixteen? I'm pretty sure my mother has some stories about all the stunts I tried to pull." He reached for her hand, which he squeezed reassuringly. "You're shaking, Elsa."

"I spent my entire childhood locked in my room. My biggest problem at sixteen was if I would wake up from another nightmare of Anna dying before me or if I'd accidentally frozen my room again." She took a deep breath. "I'm supposed to be her _mother_, but I can barely even be an acquaintance anymore… She hates her magic and I think she's beginning to hate _me_."

He nuzzled her head. "Girls go through a stage in life where they hate their mothers. Don't you remember how upset Anna was when Hilde started that? But she grew out of it. I know my sister had a rough time with my mom, too." He turned his wife around to face her, gently stroking her cheek.

"I just want her to be happy…" Elsa bit her lip and felt tears begin to pool in her eyes. "I'm trying to help her…"

Leif pulled her into an embrace as she whimpered into his chest. "I know. We all are. Freja just needs to figure this out on her own." He rested his chin on her head. "It just takes some time."

* * *

**I'd just like to take a moment to say that I have never, in my life, actually had an OC that worked and here I am making, what, four of them now? Also I'm shipping Leif and Elsa so hard right now. Just... Yeah. Gah, they're adorable.**


	3. A Flood of Memories

**Wow, this on took a bit longer than normal. I'm not actually at home right now, so the last section of this was written on my phone. Just a warning. **

**Disclaimer: ****I only own Freja, Gregory, Hilde, Leif, and any other OCs I decide to add.**

* * *

Freja slammed the door behind her as she dashed into her bedroom— _Mother's old room_—and immediately she felt even the tiniest bit relieved. A thin layer of frost began to creep up the walls, but she didn't take any notice of it. Rather, she went to stand before the window and gaze out over Arendelle. The sparkling waters of the fjord calmed her and she felt the ice begin to recede. She did so much enjoy gazing over the lands that would one day be hers.

With that thought the ice returned in full force. She pressed her palm to the glass pane, watching frost crawl all over it. Her tea green eyes flitted over the frost and she watched with mild fascination as it grew thicker, whiter, until finally…

_Crack._

The glass could take no more and a large line appeared beneath her fingers. She let her hand drop to her side and the frost retreated only slightly, showing her the ruined pane. It would have to be replaced, she knew, but for now she didn't feel inclined to go running for a servant. The window could wait.

Freja jumped onto her bed with a deep sigh. Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling and let her mind wander. She thought back to the time before her parents finally discovered her abilities, to a much, much simpler time. A smile curled her lips as she thought of herself sitting on her mother's lap in the library in the evenings, as her parents were often found there after dinner.

_"__Mama, do it! Do the magic!"_

_Elsa laughed softly. "All right. Just a little bit." She opened her palm and a small flurry of snowflakes whirled into the air. Little Freja giggled with joy and reached out to grab them before they disappeared._

She turned on her side. During most of her childhood, especially after Elsa began training her, she enjoyed the time she spent with the queen. They laughed, they played, they talked late into the night… Together, they were a normal mother-daughter pair. Tears pricked at her eyes. "So… What happened?" She whimpered.

A memory of ice-skating surfaced in her mind. She remembered it clearly. It had been her first time and her father stood in the background, worrying about her. Though he shouldn't have; Elsa was more than capable of teaching her own child to skate.

_The queen threw a glance at him over her shoulder. "Leif, please, she'll be fine!"_

_ "__She's only six!" He threw his hands up into the air._

_ "__Oh, hush." She gazed down at Freja, her hands firmly holding onto the little girl's. "All right, just do what I do, okay?"_

_Freja nodded. "Okay, Mama."_

_Elsa gently began tugging her across the ice in the courtyard. She smiled as her daughter wobbled for a little while, but soon seemed to catch on. "I'm doin' it!" She beamed, grinning upward._

_ "__Yes you are." The queen held her tighter, just in case._

If there was one thing she did enjoy doing with her mother, it was skating. Since growing older they had begun have races and small competitions with each other, though they usually resulted in the two of them collapsing in the snow in fits of laughter. For a moment she contemplated rushing out to find Elsa and apologize, then beg to go ice-skating to make up for it. Then she remembered that her mother's meetings were probably in session or soon to be.

Freja felt her chest throb when she thought of queenly duties. She didn't want to take over for her mother; she _couldn't_. The people of Arendelle deserved someone better than she could be. She hated her own magic, so surely everyone else did too, secretly or otherwise.

"I don't know, maybe I should talk to her."

"Perhaps…"

"Elsa, come on. You really think she'd listen to you right now anyway?"

"I am her _mother_."

"And I'm her crazy aunt. Queen or not, I'm winning this one."

A sigh. "Fine, fine. Do whatever you'd like. I have other things to be doing anyway."

"You don't need to be so cold about it."

"Very funny, Anna."

The princess heard footsteps as her mother walked away from the door. The next moment there was a knock. "Freja? Can I come in?" She recognized her aunt's chipper voice.

"Y-yes." She sat up and dangled her legs over the side of her bed.

Anna pushed open the door and gasped. "Well… You were busy."

She looked around to see the walls coated in a thick layer of frost and a few small icicles hung from the ceiling. In her musing, her magic apparently went beyond her control. She shrugged. "Oops."

"Don't worry about it." Anna smiled and went to sit next to her. "So, Elsa told me you two got into a bit of an argument earlier during your lesson." She nudged the girl's shoulder lightly. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Freja sighed heavily. She looked up into her aunt's bright face, so different from her mother's. "I just… She keeps talking about how I'm going to make a great queen and everything. I don't even _want_ to be queen!"

"Well, why not? You can do whatever you want when you're queen!"

"No you can't. Mother's always in meetings and at dinners and everything else."

Anna grinned. "Ah, that's just since she's been married and had you. I can remember one day she decided she didn't want to do anything. So you know what she did?"

Freja shook her head.

"She ordered all the chocolate in the castle to be made into different desserts and spent the entire day eating it. I helped, of course, but… Eventually we finished it all." Anna giggled at Freja's shocked expression. "Oh come on, you've seen her at her birthday! Why do you think we always have a chocolate cake with dark chocolate icing?"

"I don't know, I just thought, maybe, she liked it..." Freja shivered once. "Aunt Anna, that doesn't have to do with anything."

Anna's face fell and she sighed softly. "Well, no, it doesn't." She wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders. "You know, your mother didn't want to be queen either. For the longest time."

"W-what? Really?" The princess couldn't imagine Elsa doing anything but being queen.

"Really. I can remember one night after she froze Arendelle she came to my room. I was shocked because, wow, Elsa's actually coming to my room? Elsa wants to be with _me_? But then I noticed she was crying..."

There had been only one time Freja could remember seeing her mother cry, and it had been when she had a potentially fatal accident with her magic. She ended up all right, though during the whole ordeal Elsa was a complete sobbing wreck. Freja really couldn't imagine the woman crying for any other reason.

Anna squeezed her tighter. "She was sobbing. It... It was pathetic, actually. As soon as I opened the door she hugged me and tried to tell me what was wrong, but I couldn't understand. When I finally got her calmed down enough, you know what she said?"

Freja shrugged.

"She said," Anna cleared her throat, "'Anna, I don't wanna be queen! I can't do it! I'm not for for the throne!'" She attempted to mimic her sister's speech. "I told her I knew she could. Even if she didn't think she could, I knew she would be great at ruling a country. I said, 'You're my sister, Elsa, and ice or not I love you. And if I can love you after thirteen years, so can everyone else.' She just hugged me again and went straight back into crying."

"So what you're telling me is that Mother cried a lot?" Freja felt a small smile tug on her lips.

Anna giggled. "Kinda." She turned serious then, her turquoise eyes flashing. "The point is, even if you don't think you can do it, we all believe in you, especially Elsa. She was so excited when she found out you were like her. She wants nothing more than for you to happy and to be a better queen than herself." She stood up and smoothed out her dress. "Now, I'm gonna get going."

"Thanks, Aunt Anna." Freja rubbed the back of her neck beneath the platinum braid.

"Anytime!" She grinned before she turned. No sooner had she walked out that she poked her head back in. "By the way."

"Yeah?"

"You should get that fixed." She pointed to the cracked window pane before leaving for good.

Freja sighed heavily and allowed herself to fall back on the bed. Her parents wouldn't be happy that she'd ruined yet more glass...


	4. Family Meeting

**Sorry this one's a bit short. The next chapter won't be, believe me. Also I'd like to make a disclaimer that my Freja isn't at all related to TwistedTelepath's Freja (she recently came out with a new fic titled _Mama's Little Snowflake_ wherein Elsa adopts a little girl named Freja). I just don't want people to get confused. Go check out the other story if you have time, though. It's fantastic!**

**Anyway, ********I only own Freja, Gregory, Hilde, Leif, and any other OCs I decide to add.** Enjoy!

* * *

Leif placed his hand over his wife's where it laid on his arm. "Everything will be fine."

"I just… I'm worried. Why would they wait so long? Why do they even want this?" She gazed up at him. "It doesn't make sense."

"We'll talk it over with the family. It's Anna's decision too." He smiled slightly. "I know you'll do the right thing."

Elsa sighed. "I hope you're right." She motioned for the door to be opened and strode into the council room where the rest of the Arendelle royal family was already gathered.

They turned to her as soon as she stepped inside. Her gaze flickered over their faces, registering emotions of confusion and something kin to fear, especially in Freja. She only ever called meetings such as these in certain situations, and never with such urgency. With a deep breath she sat at the head of the long table. Her family followed suit.

She noticed with a smile that Freja purposefully sat beside her. It had been a few days since their disastrous lesson and all was since forgiven. Composing herself, she cleared her throat. "I received a letter today from Weselton."

Soft gasps circulated the table. Anna leaned forward. "I thought you told them we didn't want to associate with them anymore!"

"I did. I put an embargo on their trade with us and have declined all offers of reimbursement from their king for the duke's actions." She pulled out the letter from her vest. "However, this is something unlike I've seen from them for a while."

"What is it?" Hilde stared at her.

At this, Elsa smirked bitterly. "The king wants to hold a party for us, here in Arendelle, and try to negotiate a different peace treaty. Years ago I told them that if they refused to leave us alone, I would waste no time in sailing over and freezing the whole country. Though it seems that since the death of the duke they feel my offer is nullified."

"You threatened to freeze them?" Freja asked, her eyes growing wide.

"Of course. The duke sent his men to kill me under the pretense of bringing me back to the castle." Her eyes narrowed and she took a deep breath. "It is one part of the story I liked to keep to myself, but I can see now that I'll almost have to tell it."

Anna cleared her throat. "If you wouldn't mind… That would help."

"Very well." Elsa stood up and turned to look out the window. The spring sun covered Arendelle in a warm glow. "Almost twenty years ago I froze Arendelle in ice and snow during the debacle that was my coronation. Of course, you all know that. Shortly after Anna and Kristoff _visited_ me in my ice castle, Hans and some guards arrived. I decided to let Jorgen—"

"Marshmallow." Anna shrugged in response to her sister's glare.

"I decided to let _Marshmallow_ take care of them while I sought refuge within my new home. However, two men managed to slip past him and they broke into the castle. Upon finding me, they attacked. I…" She looked at Leif, sorrow in her eyes. "I nearly killed them. And I would have, if Hans hadn't stopped me."

_"Queen Elsa, don't become the monster they think you are!"_

She winced at the memory. "Later I discovered they were sent by the Duke of Weselton. His crimes were not quite so grave against Arendelle. While he only tried to kill me, Prince Hans tried to kill both Anna and myself." She picked up the letter. "If I were dealing with the Southern Isles, the decision would be easy; however, the king makes a valid point in noting that nearly twenty years have passed and he _is_ dead." She turned her gaze to her sister. "Anna, what do you think?"

"Well…" The princess began toying with one of her braids absently. "He says he just wants a peace treaty, right?"

"Correct. He intends to send us all the required fixings for a proper ball and an ambassador to cover all peace agreements. If we agree, the only things we must provide are a venue and lodging for the ambassador and his son."

"Wait… His _son_?" Hilde looked up, having taken new interest. "As in a young man?"

Elsa's right eyebrow rose and she scanned the letter again. "Yes. He says, 'I will be sending in my stead Sir William Daladier, who has kindly accepted this position, and his seventeen-year-old son Ambrose to finalize any and all decisions between our two kingdoms.'"

"We're doing it!" Hilde jumped up and slammed both palms on the table. She turned red as she realized her family was staring at her. "That is… If you'd like. I think it's a marvelous idea."

The queen's lips twitched into a small smile. "Well, that's one affirmative vote. Any other thoughts?"

"I agree. The king has a point; it's been a long time since then and if the duke is dead, we shouldn't have anything to worry about. I say we go ahead with it." Anna grinned.

"Two. Anyone else?"

Kristoff nodded his head. "I agree too."

"Three." Elsa inclined her head to her daughter. "Freja, you've been awfully quiet. Don't you have anything you'd like to say?"

Freja chewed her bottom lip slightly. Though she wanted to get as excited as Hilde at the prospect of meeting a boy, she felt a nagging fear settle in her stomach. "Do you really think it's a good idea, what with _us_, Mother?"

"Us? What do you mean?"

"Even if we do have this Sir William person over here, are you sure he'd even be willing to negotiate? Between the two of us, we could decimate entire countries with our magic. Are you sure this isn't just some ploy to win us over to their side in case of a war?" She felt frost beginning to gather at her fingertips.

Elsa took a deep breath. "You know Arendelle remains neutral in any and all conflicts. Besides, even if something were to happen… I'm more than capable of handling it." She smiled warmly. "You don't have anything to worry about, dear."

"Then… Then I agree as well. If you're really okay with it."

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is four affirmative votes." Elsa folded up the letter and stuffed it back into her vest. "I suppose we're agreeing to his terms, then. I'll pen a reply to him and send it out. If it reaches him in good time, we're to expect the ambassador within a month."

Hilde elbowed her cousin. "Freja, a month. Only a month!"

"Hilde, you never get this excited about _anything_." Freja glared at her half-heartedly.

"Well it's not every day you get to meet a foreign ambassador!"

Gregory stared at them. "What about all those dignitaries? And the princes?"

"That's different, Greg. This is an ambassador's son that's going to be staying here long-term until Aunt Elsa and his dad figure something out!" She smiled with a sigh. "What do you suppose he looks like, Freja?"

"Um… I… I don't know." Freja pushed back the chair and stood. "If we're done, I'd like to go."

Elsa simply nodded, her face crestfallen. "Yes, we're finished. You may leave."

"Thank you, Mother." She hurried from the room.

Leif put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Don't think too much about it." He smiled, his hazel eyes sparkling. "Now, I'd get to writing that letter of yours. Hilde looks like she's about to explode from the excitement already."

"You're right." She turned to leave when she glanced back at him. "Would you like to help me?"

The crystal cutter adjusted his jacket. "Of course, Your Majesty. Anything you wish is yours." He grinned down at her.

"Oh stop it." She elbowed him in the ribs with a laugh. "Let's just get to it before I start thinking of Freja again."

"Believe me, I'll keep your mind off her," He growled in her ear, steering her out of the council room.


	5. Fire and Ice

**I want to thank everyone that reviewed, followed, and/or favorited this story. I really appreciate your support! I hope you continue to enjoy the story. **

**Disclaimer: I only own Freja, Gregory, Hilde, Leif, and any other OCs I decide to add.**

* * *

Hilde brushed the invisible specks of dust from her dress again and tugged on the corset to ensure it was straight. She ran a hand over her blonde hair in an attempt to smooth it. Finding herself presentable, she smirked and folded her hands in front of her.

"You are absolutely ridiculous."

"If it were a girl, you'd be doing the exact same thing." She glared at her twin. "Besides, I have to look my best anyway. We are representing Arendelle, after all."

He pulled on the collar of his shirt. "Yeah, why do we have to do this? It's so hot out…"

"How do you think I feel?" Freja mumbled, blowing a cool breeze up into her bangs. "I'm practically melting."

"Well, it _is_ the beginning of summer. You know what they say: nothing like an Arendelle summer!" Hilde smiled at them.

The youngest princess rolled her eyes. "If it were up to Mother and me it'd be winter year-round…"

"Oh, quit being an icicle." Hilde nudged her roughly. "Just make yourself a little snow cloud or something. Like what Olaf has."

"That's not how it works, Hilde." Freja shook her head. "If you really wanted me to do something to cool me off then you'd both be covered in snow." She huffed and crossed her arms. "Also I probably would've frozen the fjord."

Hilde sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Listen, Sir William whatever-the-heck is going to be here soon. Just stick it out a little longer." She suddenly jumped. "There's his ship!"

The three royal children looked on as a ship flying the Weselton flag eased into port. Hilde dashed down to the dock, skidding to a halt. "Can you see him?!" She craned her neck in a futile effort to look over the deck.

"Wasn't she just talking about how we have to be on our best behavior?" Gregory whispered to Freja.

"I think she's just really excited to meet Ambrose." Freja couldn't help but smile.

They waited patiently—or not quite so patiently in Hilde's case—for the ship to completely dock. As soon as the gangplank was lowered, a young man scurried down. He took a deep breath before gesturing to the deck. "Presenting Sir William Daladier, ambassador of Weselton."

"That will be all, Kurt." A tall man stepped down to the dock. His hands were folded behind him and he stared down at the small welcoming party. The medals on his red and black jacket flashed in the sunlight. "Well, well, well. What have we here?"

Hilde stepped forward with a small bow. "My name is Princess Hilde of Arendelle." She smiled slightly.

"Ah. Then this must be Prince Gregory." William chuckled. "Twins of Princess Anna and Prince Kristoff."

"Well, Dad's not really—" Gregory began, but was soon cut off by his sister.

William didn't seem to take much notice and instead his gaze fell to Freja. "You must be Queen Elsa's daughter."

"Yes sir." She nodded, clenching her jaw.

"The infamous Ice Princess." He smirked.

Freja winced and took a deep breath. "I… I'm not…" She snapped her mouth shut as she realized she would only ramble.

The ambassador looked to the ship. "Ambrose! Come down here, my boy!"

"Coming, Father!"

Hilde grinned as the young man dashed down the gangplank to join his father. He bowed deeply. "My apologies. I had some unfinished business."

"Hm?" William placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "Introductions will have to wait until we arrive at the castle. Princess Freja doesn't seem to be feeling well."

Freja kept her gaze to the ground, though it was obvious her cheeks were flushed and she swayed slightly on her feet. Ice gathered around her as she kept taking deep breathes. Gregory wrapped an arm around his her shoulders. "Oh man, are you getting overheated again? Come on, let's get you to the carriage."

She wrapped her arms around herself and nodded weakly. "I'm sorry…" She whispered.

"Hey, it's fine. We know you can't stay out too long." He smiled warmly.

Sir William nodded and looked to the ship. "Bring our things to the castle, on the double men!"

A chorus of "Yes sir!" responded. He began following Gregory and Freja. "To the carriage, then."

Hilde stayed behind with Ambrose. "So…" She smiled up at him.

"We should go too." He started walking.

The princess narrowed her eyes and blew some hair from her face. "_God damn it Freja…_"

"Did you say something, Your Highness?" He looked back at her.

"N-nothing!" She grinned and waved, though she went back to glaring as soon as his back was to her.

* * *

Once the carriage was stopped in the castle courtyard, Sir William stepped out into the sun. "My, that was a rather…_chilly_ ride." He once again clasped his hands behind his back and surveyed his surroundings. "So this is Arendelle Castle…"

Freja stepped out next, her hair released from its crown-like style and instead in a single braid down her back. Her loose bangs hung over her forehead. "I apologize. I just… Ice…and things…" She shook her head.

"Quite all right, Princess, I assure you. It was enjoyable compared to the summer heat." He looked down at her. "Tell me, when might I meet your mother?"

"At dinner. Mother is busy all this afternoon." She tried her best to match his gaze, but she couldn't help but feel ashamed. She desperately wanted to control her magic, but the sun, and the heat… She just felt stifled.

He frowned deeply, stepping past her. "Pity."

The creak of the main doors opened echoed in the courtyard. A woman walked out, a radiant smile on her face. "Welcome to Arendelle!" She chirped and approached Sir William. "You must be Sir William from Weselton, right?"

He bowed. "Indeed. Princess Anna of Arendelle?"

"That's right." She curtsied slightly. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. Normally my sister would be doing the greeting, but unfortunately she's busy at the moment. She should be meeting up with us at dinner, though, so you can meet her then."

"I can hardly wait." He turned to gesture to his son. "This is my boy, Ambrose. I decided he could learn more about the position by joining me on my trip. I hope you don't mind."

Anna shook her head. "Not at all. We have more than enough room in the castle. Besides," she looked to Hilde and Freja, "we have two young women who were very excited to meet him."

"Mother!" Hilde hissed, her face turning scarlet.

"Aunt Anna…" Freja reached up to rub her neck and looked to the ground.

She giggled before turning. "Now, if you'll follow me, I can show you to your room."

"Of course, Your Highness." William barked an order to his porters before following her into the castle.

"Oh!" Anna rushed back outside. "Gregory, Hilde, Freja. Why don't you three give Ambrose a tour of the castle? I'm sure he'd enjoy that. Just don't forget that dinner is at five. It's around three right now." She disappeared behind the doors again.

Ambrose looked at his three guides. "Uh… So when do we start?"

Hilde, her blush having now receded, grabbed his arm. "We can just start out here!"

Gregory sighed as she pulled the poor boy over to the stables. "Man… She's really going overboard with this whole thing."

"I guess she's more like Aunt Anna than she lets on." Freja glanced up at him.

"It's getting annoying."

"Now you know how we feel about you normally. Especially when you interrupt me in the library."

He gasped. "No one says that you _have_ to shoot ice at me!"

"Just like no one says that you _have_ to rip every single book out of my hands." She smirked and went to join her other cousin.

Gregory rolled his eyes. "Girls…"

No sooner had the two of them reached Hilde that she turned to drag Ambrose into the castle itself. They had to practically run to catch up, but once inside, they found themselves on what could possibly be one of the most boring tours they'd ever been on. Gregory managed to entertain himself by joining his sister in explaining every single nook and cranny in the place, leaving Freja on her own.

As the group walked down a hall of armors, Ambrose cleared his throat and nudged her. "Hey."

"Oh, um… Hi." She fiddled with her braid, having pulled it over her shoulder.

"Your name's Fre… Frey-something, right?"

"Freja. It's Freja." She giggled softly.

He gave her a lop-sided smile. "Right, Freja. Er, Princess Freja."

"You can just call me Freja, if you want."

"All right, Freja it is." He gazed down at her, his warm grey eyes soft. "That's a cool name."

She felt her cheeks burn with a faint blush. "Th-thanks. It's the name of the goddess of love and beauty in Norse mythology."

"Oh wow."

"And of death and war."

"Oh." He chuckled. "Well, hopefully it won't come to that."

She shrugged. "Hopefully!"

They settled into a silence where Hilde and Gregory rambled on about some war or another, naming eras that the different suits of armor were from. Finally Ambrose nudged her again. "So, I heard you can do magic."

"I can, yes. Didn't you hear your father call me the Ice Princess? There's a reason."

"So it's true. You can make ice."

She nodded. "Not just ice. Snow, hail, icy winds… Ice sculptures, snowmen. My mother can even make magical, talking snowmen. I can't do that yet, though."  
He stopped and grabbed her upper arm. "Can you show me?"

"Sh-show you?" She squeaked, looking up at him.

"Come on, we're both bored anyway. Let's go." He jerked his head to the opposite direction than her cousins.

Freja glanced at the twins before finally she nodded. "All right."

He took off in a run, leaving her to follow. Soon the two of them were dashing down the hallway, turning in hopes to throw off Gregory and Hilde in case they found out. Once they felt they were a safe distance away, Ambrose stopped them. "So where should we go?" He asked, breathless.

"The Great Hall. I can make an ice rink." She gripped his wrist. "Follow me!"

Ambrose laughed as she pulled him along. They zipped around corners and nearly upset a few maids. She even convinced him to slide down the banister of a staircase when they reached it. Finally, after some time, they arrived at a pair of heavy-looking oak doors. "Help me open it up!" She grunted, pushing against one with all her weight.

He helped her shove it open and revealed a large room with a high ceiling, pillars climbing up the walls to support it. A chandelier hung in the middle and he knew that when all the candles were lit, it would shower the entire area in golden light. Both their footsteps echoed in the empty space as they walked to the very center of the room.

"Ready?" Freja pulled up her dress a bit. "Be careful you don't slip. It's a bit fast."

He readied himself and nodded. "Ready."

She stepped down hard with her right foot. As soon as she made contact, blue ice began spiraling out from her, coating the floor and creeping up the walls. She laughed as she watched Ambrose attempt to retain his balance despite her warning. "You okay there?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah I'm good." He tried to walk over to her and instead fell forward.

She managed to catch him, if only barely. "Oh really? Hold on a minute." She set him back on his feet and shot a blast of ice downward, a pair of skates materializing beneath his boots. "Better?"

"Not really!" He still stumbled around. Finally he gripped her shoulder. "This is amazing. How… How can you do this?"

She shrugged after creating her own pair of ice skates. "Magic, I guess. I was born with it."

"That's some talent…" He nearly slipped again.

"Here." She took both his hands. "Just follow me, all right?" She pushed off, gently pulling him after. "It's like walking without picking up your feet."

He wobbled a bit, clutching her small hands tighter each time he did. "Maybe for you!"

"I'm going to let you go. See if you can do it on your own." She slid away from him. "You're not going to learn if I don't let you."

For a moment Ambrose almost seemed to able to stand on his own, until he began falling backward. "Freja!" He reached out for her hand.

She cried out as he caught her off balance. Right before they hit the ice, she managed to conjure up a small pile of snow for them to land in. She pushed herself off him, on hand in the snow and the other on his chest. At once her mind went blank and she could only stare at him in fear.

"Are you all right?" His eyes flickered over her face. "Did I hurt you?"

"N-no, I…" She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry!" She scrambled to get to her feet. "I've never…been that close to somebody before…"

He sat in the snow, knowing he would just fall again if he tried to get up. "That's okay. I understand. You probably don't get too many princes knocking at your door all the time." He noticed the slight rise of her eyebrow. "Not that princes wouldn't want you! I mean, I just, you're pretty young, right? Like fifteen or something?"

"Sixteen."

"There. See? You're not even old enough to get married yet."

She giggled and reached down for his hand. "Technically I'm of age."

"Freja, normally people don't get married that young these days…" He took her palm and pulled himself up, nearly pulling her down again. "All right, let's try this again."

She nodded and gave him her other hand. "I won't let go so soon this time." She gazed up into his face. "I promise." She felt her cheeks burn as she noticed the waves in his dark blonde hair and the fringe that hung into his eyes. She shook herself, knowing it was rude to stare.

"I'll hold you to that." Ambrose smiled warmly.

Freja cleared her throat and pushed off again. "Then let's get started."


	6. Rules

**Here we have a bit of a filler chapter before the adventure really begins. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own Freja, Gregory, Hilde, Leif, and any other OCs I decide to add.**

* * *

"…So of course I had to spend the rest of the afternoon trying to untangle the dogs from their harnesses!"

Elsa laughed politely, though in reality she hadn't really been paying attention to Sir William's tale. She turned as she heard the door to the dining room open. "Leif, did you find her?" She smiled hopefully.

"No, but I did find these two." He pushed his niece and nephew forward.

Anna walked up to them. "There you are! We've been waiting for you…four… Where are Freja and Ambrose?" She looked behind them to see an empty hallway.

Gregory shrugged. "I have no idea. We were walking along on the tour and they just disappeared!"

"_Poof_." Hilde raised her hands defensively. "Honest, Mom, that's what happened. They were there one minute and the next they weren't."

Elsa pushed past them. "I think I have an idea where they might be."

"Lead the way, Your Majesty!" Sir William followed her swiftly.

The two of them walked through the corridors of the castle, at first silently until William decided to regale her with more tales. She only paid attention to about half of what he spouted, though to be honest she really could care less about his hunting adventures. She was far more concerned with getting to the Great Hall, a place she knew at least her daughter most likely retreated to.

Upon their arrival, he opened one of the doors for her and gasped. Her eyes widened to see the entire area covered in thick ice and snow. "Freja, what on earth are you doing?!" She shouted, disrupting the girl.

"Mother!" Freja, startled, released the ball of ice she'd been forming in her hands—the original intention being to show Ambrose some sculpting work—and it flew into the far wall. A long spike grew and glinted in the light.

Sir William narrowed his eyes as he witnessed his son standing on the ice. "Ambrose, what do you have to say—" As he stepped into the room he lost his footing and slipped.

"Sir William!" Freja slid over to him, skidding to a halt as she knelt down. "Are you all right?"

Using the lithe princess and the queen for support, he managed to get to his feet and remain standing. "This… This is amazing!" He seemed to have forgotten about his own son. "Princess, _you_ did all this? It's a regular _winter wonderland_!"

She ducked her head, somewhat embarrassed. "Y-yes sir, I did."

The floor was covered in a thick sheet of ice that crept up the walls, some even reaching the ceiling. Snow piled up around the edges while various small sculptures dotted the room. He stumbled his way to one that looked very similar to Hilde. "This is nothing short of art, Your Highness!"

"Enjoy it while you can, Sir William, because unfortunately I cannot allow it to stay." Elsa stepped into the middle of the room, perfectly at ease on the ice, and raised her arms. At once the snow began to melt away, the ice cracking and fluttering toward her. She gathered it all together before releasing it above her, spreading out the magic in a giant snowflake that disappeared into the air.

"I can see the rumors were all true then. Both the Queen and the heir have ice magic." Sir William chuckled, a smirk on his face. "How interesting."

"Not quite as interesting as the story we're going to hear as to why both of them are late to dinner." Elsa put a cold hand on her daughter's shoulder and steered her out of the room. "You know how your cousins get when they're hungry."

Freja began to protest only to be hushed. "Save it for later." The queen shot her a glare.

"Come along, Ambrose. Don't think you're exempt from this." He waited for his son to exit the room before closing the door.

Once the four of them were in the dining room, Elsa announced that their meal could finally begin. Gregory immediately dug into his food, not caring that a guest sat directly across from him. The rest of the family paid him no mind and ate as civilly as they could. Once a comfortable silence settled in, Sir William cleared his throat. "So, Queen Elsa, about that peace treaty…"

"I do not discuss business at the table." She put down her glass. "While you're staying here I should probably go over some rules we have in our family. No, I don't expect you to follow them; though I do expect you to respect them."

He nodded slightly. "Yes, of course…" His voice grew low and his dark eyes were shadowed by his furrowed brow.

"Leif, if you wouldn't mind assisting me." She exchanged a glance with her husband before taking a deep breath. "First, all conversations regarding any matters of country, state, international, national, and otherwise are saved for any room in the castle except this one. When I eat I prefer to do so peacefully."

Leif chuckled and raised his glass to her. "Here here. Also we join together like this for every meal, every single day." He noticed Ambrose's worried expression. "The servants will let you know when to come here. Supper is usually around eleven or noon, and dinner is anywhere from five to seven."

"The only meal that is optional is breakfast. Even then, it is somewhat looked down upon. Unless, of course, you're Anna and a nightmare to wake up in the morning." Elsa smiled at her younger sister warmly.

The princess frowned. "Hey, it's not so bad now that I'm older!"

Leif looked to his daughter. "If you should happen to not be feeling well, by all means, _don't_ come to meals. Isn't that right, Freja?"

She averted her gaze to her lap. "It's not like I _meant_ to get everyone else sick…"

"Well, those seem easy enough to follow." Sir William patted his son's shoulder. "As guests in Arendelle, we will do our very best to adhere to them. If there is anything else we should know, please, don't hesitate to tell us."

The queen simply nodded and continued with her meal.

It was a few minutes until the ambassador spoke up again. This time he directed his attention to Leif. "I hear you're a purveyor of crystal, Your Majesty."

Leif laughed at him for a moment. "Sir William, please, I'm not a king. I'm a crystal cutter."

"You're…what?"

"It's true. Leif and I aren't actually royalty." Kristoff took a sip of his drink. "I'm actually an ice harvester."

Anna smiled at him. "You're the Official Arendelle Icemaster and Deliverer, Kris."

"That too."

Elsa rested her chin on her fist. "My husband is king in nothing but title. He and I met some years ago under rather unusual circumstances and, as fate would have it, we decided to get married."

"You forgot the part where you fell madly in love with my devilishly good looks and dashing personality, Ellie." Leif grinned at her, raising an eyebrow.

The family shared a snicker as the queen looked away from him, her cheeks turning red and mumbling something about him being an idiot. Sir William regarded them with interest. "You seem to have a very loving family, royalty or not. If the king of Weselton were even half this affectionate toward his own children, we would be in a much better position than we are now." He glanced at the three children across from him and smiled. "I envy you, to be frank."

"Between Aunt Elsa and Mom, life can get pretty crazy around here." Hilde bit off the piece of meat from her fork.

Gregory nodded, shoving a roll into his mouth. "But it's fun!"

"I bet it is," Ambrose said, turning his gaze to Freja.

She smiled weakly. "It can be, I guess. Sometimes it gets a little boring, but… That's normal." She rolled her shoulders back and put her napkin on the table. "Mother, I'm not very hungry this evening… May I go?"

"You don't want dessert?" Elsa tilted her head slightly.

"If she doesn't want hers, can I have it?!" Gregory raised his hand.

Hilde reached around her cousin to smack his head. "Greg, quiet!"

He shot a glare at his sister and made the motion to lunge for her. Freja quickly subdued them each with a quick shot of snow into their laps. "Never mind, Mother…" She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"And this is why we had to get rid of the 'no magic at the table' rule." Leif glanced at his sister-in-law. "Anna, you really need to do something about them."

"You try dealing with two kids at the same time! You and Elsa were lucky you only had _one_!" Anna stood up and slammed both hands on the table, nearly upsetting her drink.

Elsa gritted her teeth. "Anna, that is enough!"

"But—"

"Kristoff, control your wife!" She pointed her fork at the ice harvester.

He seemed mildly insulted, but nonetheless he pulled her back into her seat. "Come on, Anna."

Freja gazed across the table to Ambrose. "Welcome to Arendelle."

"I think I'm going to like it here." He smiled and continued to eat. "I think I'm going to like it here a lot." He winked at her, his smile growing wider as he noticed her blush.

* * *

**Reviews are always appreciated.**

**See you next chapter!**

**-LoRF**


	7. I Love You

**I finally did it. I cracked and wrote a chapter of LeifxElsa (Lelsa) fluff. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, like Freja, Leif, Gregory, Hilde, etc. **

* * *

The door shut behind her softly. "Freja?" The queen stepped forward into her daughter's chambers. "Do you have a minute?"

Freja poked her head from her closet. "Just a moment! I'm getting dressed." She disappeared again.

"I can wait." Elsa sat herself on the bed. She let her gaze wander around the room, noticing with a smile that nothing much had changed.

She felt the mattress shift as Freja sat behind her, pressing their backs together. "Ready for bed?" Elsa asked, turning her head slightly. She saw her daughter's platinum head resting against her shoulder.

"Mm-hm. I'm tired…"

"I don't blame you. You had quite a day." Elsa took a deep breath and reached back, hoping to find Freja's hand.

Freja seemed to have the same idea because soon their fingers entwined. "I'm sorry about earlier, Mother. I just wanted to show Ambrose what I could do… I didn't mean to miss dinner. We lost track of time."

"That's all right, dear." The queen slid off the bed. She smiled slightly. "You know, I used to do the exact same thing with your father."

"Really?" Freja turned over to flop on her belly. She gazed up at her mother. "No, you're lying!"

"I most certainly am not." Elsa smirked and glanced toward the door. "Just ask him someday. I used to get up early on the days I knew he was coming to the castle and I would decorate the entire courtyard with statues and ice and snow and everything else, just to impress him."

The teenager rested her chin in her hands, propped up on her elbows. "Was he impressed?"

"Of course he was! He was an ice harvester like your uncle before he became a crystal cutter. He never did get as excited about it as Kristoff, however…" Elsa shrugged. "Anyway, I wanted to say good night to you. And… I apologize. For getting angry with you. I shouldn't have."

"Oh…" Freja wriggled her way to the floor standing up next to the queen. "It's all right. I should've been on time and everything…"

Elsa enveloped her in what normal people would consider a cold hug, but for the two of them it couldn't be warmer. "I love you, Freja. Don't you ever forget that."

"I love you too." Freja's voice was muffled where she pressed her face into the queen's collar.

They remained so for a few moments more before Elsa pulled away. "We should probably both get to bed. I'll see you in the morning, Freja. Good night." She opened the door, not quite wanting to walk out.

"Good night, Mother."

With a weak smile, she left, closing the familiar door behind her. She walked down the empty corridor to the master bedroom where she knew her husband awaited her. He often refused to get in bed until she was there first. She rolled her eyes. _Leif is really just a big baby…_

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even bother to knock and instead just entered her chambers. When she looked up she felt her face turn a bright shade of red. "A-ah… Leif?"

"You act like you've never seen me like this before." He put a hand to his waist. He stood, practically nude, in the middle of their bedroom. "Come on, Ellie, don't be so surprised."

"Well it would help if you _warned_ me first!" Yet she didn't pull her eyes away from him.

He shrugged. "You didn't knock or anything. How am I supposed to know you're coming?"

"Just put a shirt on."

"Oh now, you don't like this?" He stretched his arms behind his head, flexing his arms and chest. Though he, like his wife, had approached his early forties, he often helped Kristoff with his ice deliveries and thus kept himself in very athletic shape. He smirked at her flustered expression.

Finally she took a deep breath and hurried past him to her closet. "It's not a matter of whether or not I like it, it's the matter of you're standing there without a shirt on!"

He laughed and grabbed the shirt he'd tossed on the bed, pulling it over his head. "Fine, fine. I'm dressed."

"Trousers included?"

He sighed. "Yes, ma'am…" He grabbed those next.

She walked over to her vanity, no longer in her queenly attire but now in a plain nightgown. "I just don't want you to get cold at night." She reached up to undo her braid.

To her surprise, Leif took it from her and started unbraiding it for her. "You're not that cold, you know." His hazel eyes were soft as he gazed at her in the mirror. "I don't think I'd want to sleep next to you _naked_, but I don't need winter clothes."

"I just worry sometimes…" She leaned back to stare up at him.

Having undone her braid, he ran his fingers through her long hair. "You shouldn't. I'm a big, tough, grown man; I can take it."

"You're nothing but a big baby and we both know it." She stood up and stretched.

Leif took advantage of the situation and shot out a hand to tickle her sides. Immediately she curled in on herself. "Leif, no!" She gasped, dashing away from him and to the bed.

"Make room for me!" He ran and jumped on his side, causing her to bounce up before settling next to him.

"You are incorrigible." She leaned over to blow out the candle on her nightstand before she slunk beneath the blankets. "Perfectly incorrigible. You haven't changed at all the entire time we've been married."

He pulled her close to him beneath the covers, wrapping his arms around her small frame. "If I changed, you wouldn't love me anymore."

"That's not true and you know it."

Leif smiled, reaching up to brush some hair from her face in the dim moonlight that streamed in through the window. As his fingers grazed her ivory skin, his expression grew somber. "I keep thinking I'm in a dream, Elsa, and one day I'm going to wake up without you, without Freja, and the past years have all been one wonderful dream."

"It's not a dream, Leif. I'm right here." She gripped the front of his shirt and pressed her cold lips to his.

* * *

_Elsa walked into the crystal shop she visited so often. "Leif!" She called, preoccupying herself with gazing at some of his newest creations._

_ "I'll be right out!" His voice was muffled from the backroom._

_ She waited until he arrived at the counter to prance up to him, leaning on the glass top. "So…?" She gazed up expectantly._

_ He shook his head. "I'm not going."_

_ "Why not?"_

_ "I don't… I don't want to be a bother, Elsa." He turned away from her to walk back to the room. "You should probably go."_

_ She reached out and caught his coat. "Leif, please! It's just a simple dinner with my family. If it makes you feel more comfortable, we can ask the servants to babysit the twins. It would just be Anna, Kristoff, you, and me. That's it. No crying babies, no other royals, just us."_

_ "I can't, Elsa. I just…can't." He shook her off._

_ "Tell me why you can't, Leif."_

_ "Elsa…"_

_ "Tell me!" She drew herself up. "That's an order!"_

_ He sighed and gazed into her icy eyes. Normally she wouldn't dream of exercising her royal authority with him, but he could see she was growing steadily more upset. "I can't go to dinner with you because I'm falling in love with you, Elsa. Happy now?"_

_ Her face fell and she barely sputtered out a surprised, "What?"_

_ "I love you, Elsa! But you're the goddamn Queen of Arendelle and I'm just a no-good crystal cutter! I'm not even from this country!" He threw his hands up. "We can't keep doing this, Your Majesty. Someday the fantasy has to end and we have to face real life, all right? That's why I can't see you anymore. Now get outta my shop before I have to use force."_

_ She shook her head, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. "You idiot…" She whispered. Taking a shaky breath, she glared at him. "You complete moron!"_

_ "Elsa, you're not helping—"_

_ The queen lunged at him, gripping his shirt in her small hands and pulling him down to her level. Before he could react she kissed him, forcibly shutting him up. He decided to go along with it and wrapped a hand around her neck, his fingers reaching up into her hair. When she pulled away, she touched her forehead to his and smiled weakly. "You're an idiot because you haven't figured out that I love you too."_

* * *

He smiled as the kiss finished and reached down to find her hand. "I know. It's just so surreal…"

She snuggled up to him, resting her head against his chest. "Do you ever wish that we weren't royalty?"

"What do you mean?"

"When I was younger, I used to imagine what would have happened if Anna and I weren't princesses. Maybe Papa would have been the blacksmith or something. Maybe I never would have had to hide my magic. Anna would have been able to grow up with other children." She chuckled softly. "Then when we married, we could have lived in your crystal shop, and instead of Queen of Arendelle, I would just be the crystal cutter's wife…"

He shook his head and closed his eyes. "I can never imagine us being anything _but_ royalty. As much as I would have liked to keep my shop, being with you was—is—more important to me. Besides, I don't think Freja would do well in town. She doesn't seem to like people much."

"You don't think we did anything _wrong_, do you?" Elsa gazed up at him.

"No, of course not…" He yawned.

She giggled and smoothed out the wrinkles in his forehead. "Get some rest."

"I love you, Ellie." He cracked his eyes open enough to gaze at her one last time before he fell asleep.

"I love you too, Leif." She sighed and felt herself drift off, warm and safe in her husband's arms.


	8. The North Mountain

**I really like how this chapter turned out. It's a pretty decent length too, which is doubly good! By the way, an alternate title for this one is "Hilde Is An Idiot". You'll see what I mean. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, such as Freja, Leif, Hilde, Gregory, etc.**

* * *

"Aunt Elsa, can we take Ambrose to the North Mountain?"

The queen put a hand to her lips in an effort to keep herself from choking on her drink. "Wh-what?!" She gasped, staring at her niece.

Hilde smiled slightly. "Well, your ice palace is beautiful, and I just figured it'd be nice if he could see it."

"Absolutely not. That place is falling apart. You could fall through the floor, or over the balcony, or a hundred other things." Elsa shook her head. "Not to mention Jorgen—"

"_Marshmallow_, Elsa," Anna chimed in.

The queen took a deep breath. "Not to mention _Marshmallow_ doesn't really know you. He would attack if I'm not there to stop him."

"We'd have Freja with us. She can get Marshmallow to calm down and make sure the floors are stable." Hilde glanced at her younger cousin. "I mean, you two look pretty similar, so…"

Leif cut in before his wife could object. "Don't try to deny it, Elsa. You and Freja look eerily similar." He continued eating his breakfast.

The princess and the queen turned to look at one another. "It's the hair, isn't it?" Freja frowned slightly. "Maybe if I colored mine…"

"That could work. Or I could do mine. Wouldn't be the first time I turned into a brunette." Elsa shook herself. "Anyway, I still forbid anyone from going to the North Mountain without my supervision. It's far too dangerous."

Sir William, who managed to remain quiet during the exchange, finally spoke up. "Your Majesty, if I may voice my opinion?"

"You may." She looked at him tiredly. "Though I doubt it will change my mind."

"I think sending Ambrose to see the North Mountain would be a wonderful idea. It will keep the children entertained, leaving us more time for negotiations."

She raised an eyebrow at him before sighing. "Sir William, I have no intention of talking about _any_ kind of negotiations until after this peace treaty ball, party, _thing_ is over with. And I am not sending my daughter, my sister's children, and _your son_ to see the North Mountain. I don't care if Freja has ice powers or not and I don't care if Gregory helps his father with the ice harvesting so he knows what he's doing. _I don't care_. The North Mountain is a dangerous place and it is definitely no place for the future queen." She aimed her last point at Freja, who multiple times had opened her mouth to interject during her speech.

Anna snorted through her nose. "But by all means, the newly-crowned Queen of Arendelle can waltz right up there and attempt to shut herself away. Let's see, you were twenty-one when you did that, and combined the four of them are…" She took a moment to do some mental calculation. "Sixty-nine. That's more than three times what you were." She crossed her arms with a smile. "I say go for it, kids."

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Doesn't have to. Come on, Elsa, let the kids have some fun. You know that Freja can handle herself, and with Gregory along they'll be fine. If you're really worried, we can send Olaf along." Anna stared at her sister, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Olaf is already at the North Mountain. He likes to keep his…_brother_ entertained." Elsa sighed irritably and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Honestly, it's like I have three children…"

Ambrose cleared his throat and spoke up for the first time that morning. "I promise to guard the princesses with my life should we decide to take this trip. I'm trained in the art of the sword, so wild beasts and bandits aren't a problem."

"Well, with Freja along, she can just freeze 'em!" Hilde placed her hand on her cousin's shoulder.

Elsa's eyes widened. "_No!_ No one is leaving and that is final!"

All four children gazed at the queen sadly, desperately. They were soon joined by Anna, who whimpered, "Please Elsa?"

"You're not even a part of this!" Elsa snapped, gritting her teeth. After a few moments of the stares, she finally broke and sighed heavily. "All right, fine. You can go…"

Hilde whooped with joy, giving her brother a high-five over Freja's head. "Haha, yeah!"

"Be sure to pack warmly. You'll be staying the night at the palace, anyway. It's too long a trip for a day." She sighed with a small smile as her words fell on deaf ears. "Well… They'll have fun either way."

* * *

Later that morning the four of them were riding in Kristoff's cart, pulled by Gunter—one of Sven's hardy sons—and enjoying the fine summer day. Hilde and Freja lounged in the back amongst their supplies as the boys took up the driver's bench. The older princess stretched out and put her hands behind her head. "Isn't this nice?"

Freja tugged on the collar of her dress. Though it wasn't heavy, she still felt uncomfortably warm. "Yeah, it's great." She hung her head over the side of the cart, her hair blowing in the breeze. "I'll be better once we get to the mountains."

"Hmph. That's not fair, you know." She turned her head to call up front. "Did you know that last year we caught her running around the courtyard in her pajamas in the dead of winter? Barefoot and everything!"

"Hey!" Freja whipped up a small snowball and tossed it at Hilde's face. "You don't need to tell them that!"

Gregory turned slightly. "Really? I must've been gone with Dad, because I sure as heck don't remember that."

"It got really weird when Aunt Elsa joined her…" Hilde shot her cousin a glare as she wiped the snow from her face.

"It must be a useful skill to have." Ambrose swiveled where he sat to face them completely. "So, I take it you don't feel the cold at all then?"

Freja shook her head. "Nope, not a bit. I could stand in the middle of a blizzard stark naked an—" Her face reddened as she realized what she said. "I-I mean, I… Ah…"

"Wow, so you have that much of a resistance?" He continued on as if he hadn't caught her small slip-up. "And then you can just conjure up some snow when you get too hot… That would be nice. Summers must be enjoyable for you and Her Majesty."

"Not really. Half the time Mother can't even leave her bedroom because she got overheated. Aunt Anna calls it a 'warm'." The princess shuddered. "They're not very fun, believe me."

He tilted his head slightly. "What's a 'warm'?"

"The opposite of a cold," Hilde piped up. "Basically they have to stay inside all day or until they cool down enough to function properly. Their powers go a bit on the fritz, too."

"It's hard to control when I can't even think straight." Freja snapped her fingers, causing a large snowflake to flutter into the air. She held out her tongue for it to land on.

"Show-off…"

She smirked and settled herself in the supplies. "If I wanted to show off, I'd do something different."

Ambrose smiled at the two girls before he turned back around. He cleared his throat and looked at his surroundings. "So, about how long is it until it starts getting colder?"

"We probably won't even make it to the Ice Palace until tonight, if everything goes well. Though with Freja here it shouldn't be a problem." Gregory flicked the reins against Gunter.

"We're really cutting our time close, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but it's amazing, especially at night. The Northern Lights hit the ice at just the right angle and the whole place just lights up. I've never seen ice so pure and clear in my life…" He began to tear up. "I'm sorry, I just… I really like ice."

Hilde snorted and turned over on her side. "Just like Dad."

"Like you're any better." He rolled his eyes before he chuckled softly. "Looks like the girls are tired already."

"I think Freja's just not feeling well." Ambrose gazed at her where she lay sprawled over the supplies, one arm covering her eyes and the other over her stomach. "She'll be all right, won't she?"

"Pfft, she'll be fine. Why are you so worried about her?"

He shrugged. "My father always taught me to be a gentleman, I guess. I just don't want her getting sick. That could be bad for us if we need her."

"Good point. When we stop for a break I'll see if she wants some water or something."

Unbeknownst to either of them, Freja smiled slightly before curling up in a ball on her side, allowing the rocking motion of the cart to lull her to sleep.

* * *

The rest of their travels went on without much of a hitch, though there was a bit of a problem when it came time to change into their winter clothing. Freja, of course, was exempt and instead romped in the snow while they did so. Though, she could still hear Hilde yelling at her brother when he accidentally came upon her mid-change. _Awkward_.

Once they were ready to continue, the cart's wheels replaced to become a sleigh, they shot off into the snowy wonderland. Freja joined Gregory up front while her other cousin and Ambrose huddled together for warmth in the back. "Only for warmth!" Hilde had chattered, pressing herself into his side. The Wesellian was too cold to care much and allowed her to do so.

Soon enough Gregory stopped the sleigh and jumped down. "Welcome to the Ice Palace." He gestured to the towering structure before them.

"Wow…" Ambrose stepped to the ground, his eyes trained on it. "That's amazing."

"Hard to believe one person made that, isn't it?" Freja smiled down at him from the driver's bench.

He nodded. "Yeah, just a bit. Oh, do you…?" He held out his hand for her.

She felt her cheeks grow pink. "Th-thanks." She slid her palm into his, grateful for the gloves he wore. He helped her step down into the snow. She pulled away as soon as she met solid ground.

Ambrose turned away from the cart to join Gregory as Hilde reached for him. Unfortunately, she reached too far and slipped out, falling flat on her face in the snow. She groaned as she pushed herself up. "Freja…" She growled, grimacing.

Freja held out her arm as she walked forward. "Marshmallow is supposed to be around here somewhere…" She picked her steps carefully. "Stay back. I don't want any of you getting hurt."

"Says the youngest, smallest, and shortest of us." Hilde brushed herself off and joined her brother.

The princess ignored her and continued to scope the area. Her fingers twitched as she held her hands at the ready. Behind her, she heard Hilde groan loudly. "Come on, Freja!"

"Hey, I'm just trying to make sure it's safe!"

Hilde grumbled something indistinguishable under her breath and leaned back against a snow-covered rock. Her eyes widened when the rock _moved_. "Uh, Freja…?"

"Not now, Hilde!"

"Freja, I think I found him…" She scampered away from it as it stood to reveal a giant snowman.

Freja whirled around with a gasp. She darted toward him. "Marshmallow!" She waved her arm to get his attention. "Marshmallow, hey there!"

He growled lowly and turned his head to her. "El…sa?" He tilted his head slightly, the icicles on his back and arms receding.

"Hey there buddy!" Freja grinned, at a complete loss as to how her mother treated the creature. "How have you been?"

"Elsa!" He grabbed her in a hug, crushing her against him.

"C-can't…breathe…!" Freja gasped out. She attempted to wriggle from his grasp to no avail. "Marshmallow, put me down!"

He held her out in his two hands. His eyebrows—if they could be called so—furrowed. "Wait… Name is Jorgen."

"Oh, right. Jorgen. Put me down." She tried her best at an authoritative voice.

Instead, icicles shot out of his body again as he realized the girl he held was, indeed, _not_ Elsa. He roared and threw her off to the side as if she were little more than a rag doll. She hit the snow, motionless.

"Freja!" Hilde gasped, though her attention turned to the giant snowman as he made a swipe at the group. She dove out of the way to avoid his claws. "Gregory, do something!"

The prince nodded and scrambled to get to the cart. "On it!" He pulled out a pickaxe from his bag and brandished it as a weapon.

"Seriously?!" She shrieked. "Oh God, we're dead. We're dead." She threw her hands up. "That's it. We're screwed!"

Ambrose dashed past her to fetch his sword. "I don't see you doing anything, Your Highness!" He unsheathed the blade with a growl before he ran to engage Marshmallow.

"Well no, you see I left all my weapons at home." She rolled her eyes. As the snowman's claws came for her again, she barely managed to jump out of the way. "Plus I was counting on Freja to take care of this for us!"

"Not helping, Hilde!" Gregory threw the pickaxe as hard as he could, smiling as it stuck in Marshmallow's chest. Ambrose raised his sword to block the snowman's attack when a clear voice rang through the air.

"Marshmallow, no! Down boy!"

Immediately Marshmallow stood back, the icicles once again disappearing. He whimpered as another snowman waddled down the ice staircase leading up to the palace. "Sorry…" He fiddled with his hands nervously.

Gregory grinned in relief. "Oh thank god, Olaf! For a minute there I didn't think we were going to make it."

Olaf waved his stick hand dismissively. "No problem. Now Marshmallow!" He turned to the giant snowman. "What have you got to say for yourself?"

"I… I sorry…"

"Good. Now give Gregory his pickaxe back."

Marshmallow plucked the tool from his chest and delicately handed it back to the prince. "Thanks, man." Greg flashed him a smile.

Ambrose turned to put his sword back on the cart when he saw Freja still lying in the snow. "Freja!" He dashed to her side.

"Oh no…" Hilde joined him, standing over the fallen girl. "Oh no, oh no. Aunt Elsa's gonna _kill us_!"

"Freja, can you hear me?" Ambrose noticed her begin to stir. "Freja?"

She moaned softly before she pushed herself up to her knees. "Ugh… Yeah, I can hear you…" She winced as she started to get up.

Ambrose wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her stand. "Are you all right?"

"I think so…" She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks."

"We should get her inside." He gazed down at her. "Think you can walk?"

Freja nodded weakly, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine, really. Just a bit shaken up." Yet, she didn't make any move to push him away.

"I agree with Ambrose. Once we at least get to the palace we can decide what to do next." Gregory turned to Hilde. "Can you help me get our stuff inside?"

She simply nodded and walked over to the cart.

Ambrose pulled the princess's arm about his shoulders. "Let's get going. Take it easy now…" He began helping her to the staircase.

"I can't believe any of this…" Hilde grumbled to herself, picking up as many bags as she could carry.

"Can't believe what?" Gregory soon joined her.

"Just…this." She frowned and turned away from him with a huff. "Come on."

He smiled slightly and shook his head. "Girls…"


	9. Aurora Borealis

**And for about the first five seconds of this fic, you're all going to have dirty thoughts and I'm going to sit here and laugh about it. Ha. **

**Dislcaimer: I only own my OCs, such as Freja, Hilde, Leif, Gregory, Ambrose, etc.**

* * *

Freja bit her lip to keep from moaning. She flinched as Ambrose's fingers graced a sore spot, a place she knew she would have a bruise later. He took note of the area and moved on. "You're really good at this…" She whispered, trying to keep the blush out of her face (to no avail, to her annoyance).

He continued massaging her shoulders and back. "You think so?"

"Uh-huh." She inhaled sharply as he kneaded yet another bruise. "Ow…"

"Sorry." He feathered his fingers over it. "You really hit the ground hard."

She chuckled once before standing up and stretching. "You try getting thrown by a giant snowman." She rolled her shoulders back before shaking herself. "Ah, much better. Thank you."

"No problem." He smiled warmly.

By this time the twins finished brining their things in for the night, piling it all next to what appeared to have been a fountain at one point. Gregory looked to Olaf, who decided to assist the young royals. "Think you could show us around?"

"Yeah, sure!" The snowman beamed. "Freja, you okay to start the tour?"

The princess nodded. "Yes. I'm fine. Besides, you'll need me to strengthen any floors or walls that are coming apart." She cracked her knuckles, a rather un-princess-like habit she developed. "Let's roll."

Olaf stepped on one of the staircases leading up to the second floor of the palace. "If you'll follow me, we can start our tour of Queen Elsa's Ice Palace!" He shouted the last bit so his words bounced around them. "The palace was built around twenty years ago when Queen Elsa decided she wanted to see what she could do with her abilities…"

Freja walked directly behind the snowman as he showed them around, ice continuously spreading from beneath her feet. She didn't want to take any chances and figured that an extra layer of clear ice couldn't hurt. However, she forgot that not everyone is as graceful as she is, a fact Hilde very quickly brought to attention.

"Could you _please_ quit with the ice?!" She verily shouted, holding onto her brother as she slid around.

"Sorry!" Freja managed to cut off her magic. She shrugged apologetically. "Sorry…"

Gregory pushed Hilde back on her feet with a grunt. "It's fine!"

"Is everything okay down there?" Olaf called to them, having already scaled a long staircase to the top of the structure.

"We're fine!" Ambrose replied. "Let's go."

The four trooped up the staircase to be met with a sight unlike any they'd seen. They arrived in a large, open room, walled in by solid ice. A set of doors were on the far wall, leading onto a large balcony. Olaf stood in the middle of what once may have been an impressive snowflake, but was now reduced to only about half its design. "My favorite room in the whole palace." He grinned up at them.

Hilde stepped forward, looking around her. "Wow…" She gasped as she heard a loud crack.

"Hilde, move!" Freja immediately shot a blast of ice where her cousin stood. "Hold on a minute."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Elsa hasn't come by to fix up this room in a while…" He giggled. "The floor's probably a bit thin!"

Freja smiled at him, shaking her head. "It's fine, Olaf. Just let me take care of it." She knelt down and pressed both her hands to the ground. Her eyes narrowed as a thick sheet of ice crawled from her fingertips, climbing about halfway up the walls. When she finished, the partial snowflake was now even more muddled. "There. Good as new." She smirked and brushed her hands together.

"Thanks." Hilde shot her a thankful glance before she continued walking forward.

Gregory squealed and dashed to the balcony. "Look! Look at this!" He grinned madly. "The Northern Lights are coming out!"

They rushed to stand next to him, their gazes to the sky. He glanced back at the room. "Guys… Guys turn around."

Freja's eyes widened as she saw the ice reflecting the lights in the sky. Various shades of green and purple lit up the room, pulsing in response to the shifting phenomenon. "That's…" Her voice trailed.

"It's hard to believe one person built all this." Ambrose stood next to her. "I think I have a bit more respect for the queen now."

"Yeah… Me too…"

They were interrupted by a soft yawn, coming from Hilde. She stretched her arms above her head. "I'm getting tired…" Looking to her brother, she said, "I assume you're in charge of dinner."

"I made lunch!" He gaped at her as she walked away.

"You're the only one who knows how to cook!" She shouted, her voice echoing. It was followed by a shriek and the sound of her falling.

Freja dashed to the top of the staircase. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine! Just dandy…" Her words trailed into a grumble.

Gregory sighed as he started descending as well. "She's fine. Well, let's get ready for dinner, I guess."

Freja shrugged as she followed her cousin, leaving Olaf and Ambrose to bring up the rear.

* * *

The princess leaned on the banister of the balcony as she gazed up at the night sky. The stars shone brightly above, illuminating the mountain. Her headband dangled in her hand. Freja slid it on her head with a sigh, pushing back the platinum blonde locks of hair from her face.

"I thought you were up here."

She whirled around at the voice, her fear melting as she saw Ambrose. "Oh, it's you. I thought you were someone else."

"Who?" He walked up to her.

"I don't know. Mother, maybe?" She chuckled nervously before averting her gaze.

He cleared his throat and leaned on the banister next to her. "So, what are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep." She glanced at him sideways. "You?"

"Same."

They remained silent for a time before he turned around, leaning his elbows on the ledge. He gazed up at the ice palace as Freja gazed at him, her eyes trailing his dark blonde hair. She leaned her cheek in her hand. He turned to her suddenly. "Do you think you could do something like this?"

"Huh?" She blinked rapidly. "Excuse me?"

"Do you think you build something like this?" He gestured to the whole of the palace.

She shook her head. "Not this big. I can barely manage little ones."

"I thought you said you have the same amount of control as the queen." He furrowed his eyebrows at her, a motion she could see clearly.

Freja sighed. "I have the same level of _control_, not the same level of _ability_."

"I don't follow."

She turned to walk into the large room, gazing at her reflection in the walls. "When I finally showed my powers to Mother, the first thing she made sure I knew was how to control them. Meaning, how to not freeze everything and everyone. At first I had to wear gloves all the time in case I had an outburst." She looked at her hands, her slim fingers pale even in the night. "With the gloves, it's harder for me to produce magic."

"Is that why you're barefoot?" He pointed to her feet.

She smiled slightly and shook her head, able to see him next to her own reflection. "No, though the thicker my shoes are the harder it is. For example, if I'm wearing proper snow boots, I can't do a thing. But Mother taught me how to make sure I would never lose control of the magic. She told me how she had, _twice_, and…" She shuddered. "She nearly killed her sister. Ice is a very dangerous thing, Ambrose. It's not something that a person should be given control over." She turned to him, her face hardened. "Do you have any idea how easily I could kill you right now?"

He stepped back, raising a hand before him. "Uh… You _won't_, right?"

"Of course not." She kicked a small icicle across the floor that had cropped up. "My magic is tied to my emotions. If I get upset or angry, then I could potentially kill people without even meaning to. The happier I am, the easier it is."

"But you can't make anything like this?"

"No, not yet. Mother's been trying to teach me how to melt things first before we move on to the big stuff." She held her hands together, a large snowflake forming in the air. "She keeps telling me that true love is the key to thawing things." The snowflake slowly molded into a heart. "But I don't understand, Ambrose. I don't… I don't really _love_ anything."

He watched with interest as the heart solidified into ice. "You love your parents, don't you?"

She scoffed, throwing the ice across the room where it shattered upon hitting the wall. "Mother just wants me to take over the kingdom for her and Father is usually working. I love them, but… I guess it's not enough. I can't melt a thing. I doubt I ever will…"

As she settled into a lapse of uncomfortable silence, Ambrose decided to change the subject. "So… You know that party that's supposed to be happening next week?"

She nodded. "What about it?"

"You're going, right?"

"Of course I am. The Princess of Arendelle has to make an appearance with the king and queen." She drew herself up and tried to look as regal as possible. With a deep breath it deflated. "After that I'm free to do pretty much whatever. I usually spend most of those parties just standing next to Mother. We keep each other cool."

He rubbed the back of his neck and stepped toward her. "If it wouldn't be much trouble, do you want to go with me? I mean, can I be your escort, Your Highness?" He bowed deeply, gazing up at her and holding out his hand.

She felt her cheeks burn and she swallowed hard before nodding. "Well… Yes. Yes you can." She slid her palm into his.

"Great!" He pulled her close as if in a dance.

She flinched and jumped backward. "I'm not wearing shoes!" She cried, hopping on one foot.

"Sorry!" In order to walk around on the icy floors he had donned his boots. "Sorry, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." She smiled slightly. "I'll be fine."

He opened his mouth to say something when light poured into the room once more. Instead he began walking toward the balcony again. "The Northern Lights are out again…"

She joined him, placing her hands on the railing. "They're so beautiful."

"Yeah…" He moved to lean on the banister, one of his hands falling across hers.

She inhaled sharply and flinched away. He gazed down at her. "Sorry, yet again."

"No, it's fine, I just…" She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm so cold, and we're in a palace made of _ice_ and I don't want you make you colder. I'm sorry."

"You're very…self-conscious about that."

"Well, when you have a heart literally _made of ice_ you kinda have to be. I mean I'm a real danger to myself and others. Mostly others." She averted her gaze from him and turned to go back into the palace. "A-anyway, we should go back to bed."

He watched her go. "Good night, Princess," He called.

"Good night Ambrose." She stopped at the top of the stairs. "And please, call me Freja."

He smiled as he saw her disappear. Taking a deep breath, he continued to watch the Northern Lights dance above him.

* * *

Upon their return to the castle, the four teenagers were greeted by their parents. Leif helped his daughter down from the cart and smiled at her warmly. "So, did you have a good time?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it was fun!"

Meanwhile Hilde rolled her eyes as she managed to get to the ground. Anna nudged her gently. "So…?" She glanced to Ambrose suggestively.

"I don't even wanna talk about it." Hilde threw her hands up and went to go inside the castle.

Gregory sighed heavily. "Don't even try, Mom. It was all wrong for her from the start." He started helping his father empty the cart and put everything away.

Elsa patted Freja's shoulder. "I'm glad you had a good time."

"O-ow…" Freja whimpered, wincing at the bruises along her back and shoulder blades.

"Ow?" Elsa's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

Gregory chuckled nervously. "Well, we sorta…ran into Marshmallow…"

"And?" The queen's left eyebrow rose, her foot tapping irritably.

Ambrose stepped forward and cleared his throat. "I take complete responsibility, Your Majesty. As she tried to protect us from Marshmallow, he threw her into the snow. I apologize for not protecting her." He hung his head.

Elsa gasped. "Freja, are you all right?!" She began inspecting her daughter for any further injuries.

"Mother, I'm fine!" She flinched as her mother's fingers grazed a tender spot on her head. "I'm just a bit bruised, that's it!"

Leif gripped his wife's wrist gently. "Now Elsa, she's fine. A few bruises never killed anyone. Stop worrying." He smiled at her. "Freja, why don't you go inside and rest. You're probably tired."

Freja nodded. "Thanks Father." She turned away from them.

"As for you…" Leif turned to Ambrose. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you tried your hardest to protect her. Make sure nothing like this ever happens again, got it?"

"Yes sir." Ambrose bowed slightly before running after the princess.

Sir William stepped up to them with a chuckle. "Well, it certainly seems like they had quite the adventure!"

Elsa nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes, it does…" She smiled as she saw her nephew. "Gregory, I'd like to see you in my study after dinner this evening."

"Yes Aunt Elsa." He groaned internally, knowing that no matter how hard he tried, she would definitely be able to squeeze every last detail of the trip out of him. It was a meeting he was _not_ looking forward to.


	10. Evening Shenanigans

**All right, I feel the need to warn you that there is an implied lemon/consummation of love in this chapter. Also if you think Ambrose is moving too fast, believe me, he's not. There's a guy I go to school with who's exactly like that. **

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, such as Freja, Leif, Hilde, Gregory, etc.**

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Aunt Elsa?" Gregory poked his head into her study, hoping she had forgotten and would send him away.

"Ah yes…" She put her pen down and gestured for him to sit in the chair on the other side of her desk. "Please, come in."

As he made his way inside, he noticed his uncle standing beside her. "Uncle Leif?"

The crystal cutter nodded. "You have some explaining to do, young man."

"O-oh…" Gregory plopped in the chair.

Elsa folded her hands before her and took a deep breath. "So, did you have a nice time at the North Mountain?"

He nodded.

"And I assume everything went well on the trip there?"

Once again, he nodded.

"Wonderful." She glanced back at her husband before tracing the lip of her teacup that she had sitting nearby. Frost slowly crept over it and he heard a cracking noise as the fluid within froze. "Would you care to explain what happened when you _arrived_ at the castle?"

Gregory swallowed hard. He attempted to form a coherent start in his head, but as soon as he opened his mouth, words came spilling out; a rather unfortunate trait he inherited from his mother. "I'm so sorry! I tried to get Hilde to let Freja do her thing but she wouldn't shut up because she's mad that Ambrose keeps talking to Freja and not her so then Hilde got all 'You can't tell me what to do I'm mad now!' and went to go stand next to this rock that turned out to be Marshmallow and then Freja tried _so hard_ to get him to calm down but he realized that she wasn't you when she didn't call him Jorgen—I mean seriously Aunt Elsa, what kind of name is Jorgen?—so then he got mad and threw her across the little outcroppy thingy we were on and I guess she just passed out or something because—"

"Gregory!" Elsa reached up to massage her temple. "Gregory, for all that is holy, please _slow down_."

He snapped his mouth shut.

"Now, can you please start from where she tried to pacify Jorgen?"

He nodded and took a few deep breaths. "Basically what happened was that as soon as Marshmallow realized Freja wasn't you, he got even more mad and tossed her. She didn't get up or anything to help us, which made sense because she was, you know, passed out. If Olaf hadn't yelled at Marshmallow I don't know what Ambrose and me would've done. Hilde was just standing off to the side yelling about how we were all gonna die."

Leif stepped forward, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. "And what was that you said earlier about Ambrose?"

"Oh, right. I think he's really getting along with Freja. When Hilde and I walked in the palace with our stuff he was giving her a back rub or something. She looked like she was enjoying it. He also pretty much carried her inside, too." He glanced from Elsa's wide eyes to Leif's angry face. "Um…"

Elsa looked up at her husband. "Leif, calm down. He was just helping."

He stepped back with a grumble, his hazel eyes ablaze.

"So, uh, can I go now? Are you done with me?" Gregory made the motion to get up.

"Not yet." Elsa sighed. "Did anything else happen?"

"Not that I know of. We saw the Northern Lights, Freja fixed up the place a bit… We left and came home. That's it." He shrugged.

She nodded and smiled slightly. "Thank you. You may leave if you'd like."

"Oh thank you!" He breathed a sigh of relief and jumped up, dashing to the door.

Elsa waited until her nephew was gone to gaze up at her husband. "Leif…"

"I hoped I wouldn't have to give any boy _the talk_ so soon…." He growled, fidgeting with his jacket.

"She's sixteen, Leif. It's about time she started having an interest in boys and vice versa."

"But you were twenty-four when we started courting, Elsa! Can't she wait that long?"

She smirked. "I'd rather her not. The line of ascendancy must continue, and that requires a male and a female and preferably some degree of affection. Otherwise making love becomes more a chore than anything."

He wrapped his arms about her shoulders, his warm breath tickling her ear. "Was it a chore for you?"

"I-I…" Her body stiffened and she cleared her throat. "It wasn't, I suppose. I, er…"

"Hm." He released her before whirling the chair around to face him. "Wanna make a snow bank?" His eyebrows waggled, a triumphant smirk playing on his lips.

"Leif, please I have—" Her eyes widened as he silenced her with a kiss, reaching up to undo her bun and allowing her hair to tumble around her face. Immediately she felt herself heating up, uncomfortably so, and shot a flurry of snow into the air in an attempt to cool the room a bit. "Let me get ready first!"

"Take all the time you need, my queen." He pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers. "Take all the time you need."

* * *

Freja looked up at her aunt as they strolled through the garden. In the evening, the summer heat had cooled and she found it rather pleasant. "Aunt Anna, can I ask you something?"

"Sure!" Anna grinned down at her. "Anything you want."

"You and Uncle Kristoff have been married for a while, right?"

She nodded. "Around twenty years, I think. I tend to lose track."

"And he loves you, right?"

Anna stopped with a gasp. "_Of course_ he does! Why else would I have married a big bear like him?"

"I'm just wondering…" Freja fidgeted with a loose thread in her dress before she took a deep breath. "When did you know he…liked you?"

The older princess took a moment to think. "I guess it could have been the moment when I was freezing to death and I realized he was my true love. Or maybe it was when he tried to save us when Marshmallow was after us. Ooh, no. No, I think it was when he was taking me back to Arendelle. I may not have been fully conscious, but I remember him talking to me and putting his hat on me."

"Uncle Kristoff putting his hat on you was a sign of true love?" Freja looked at her doubtfully. "Uh-huh."

Anna shrugged. "Well, for me it was! Keep in mind, honey, I was cooped up in a castle for thirteen years. I didn't have any idea what love was. I do now, of course, but at the time I thought he was just being a nice guy, y'know, helping me find my sister and then consequently saving my life—or at least trying to."

"Aunt Anna, that doesn't really answer my question…" Freja grumbled, turning to continue their walk.

"Well, you're gonna have to be a little more specific."

"I just don't know how to tell if Ambrose likes me or not, okay?!" She crossed her arms as ice began to spread from beneath her feet.

Anna giggled and pulled her niece into a sideways hug. "Oh Freja, you're just like your mom. I can remember when she and Leif started courting, but she was bound and determined to never let him know how much she enjoyed it when he teased her. And she was so confused about how to be a 'proper' girl for him… Always so worried that maybe he didn't like her as well as she liked him…" She sighed at the memories. "But you know, they're very happy now and I don't think she could have found a better guy. Sure he's not a prince or a king, but that doesn't matter. He loves her."

"So, taking all that into consideration and going back to my original question that you _still_ haven't answered, how the heck do I tell if he's interested in me?" Freja pressed her lips into a thin line, hoping her aunt wouldn't launch into another long-winded story that had absolutely nothing to do with that she wanted.

"Well honestly you don't." Anna smiled warmly at Freja's stormy expression. "You just sort of…roll with it. Let it happen. If it happens it happens and if it doesn't, oh well. There are other guys out there, believe me."

Freja bit back a growl of frustration and took a deep breath. "Well thanks, I guess…"

"Of course!" She grinned before looking up at the sky. "Oh Freja, look at the sunset. Isn't the sky beautiful?"

The princess turned her gaze to the heavens. Red and yellow light peaked out from behind the clouds, staining the gardens around them in an orange glow. She reached down to pluck a white rose from a nearby bush and gazed at it curiously. Frost began to creep over it. The light reflected off the ice and created a rather amusing personal light show for her. "Yeah," she said finally, "it's really pretty."

* * *

"_But Hilde, what if he just doesn't like you that much?_"

"Oh shut up, Gunter." She held out a carrot for him, which he gladly took. "Hey, hey, hey. Share." She smiled as he relinquished some of it for her. "Thank you."

She turned as the stable door opened and her father walked in. "Oh. Hey Dad." She bit off the carrot and held it out for him. "Carrot?"

"No, no thanks." He closed the door behind him. "I thought I'd find you here. Your mom said you were upset."

Hilde bit her lip and averted her gaze. "Well, I was…" She sighed. "I guess I still am a little bit…"

"Wanna talk about it?" He smiled warmly, opening his arms for her.

She rushed into his embrace. "Dad, I'm such an idiot…"

"No you're not. Why would you think that?" He looked down at her.

"It's just… Ambrose. Just Ambrose." She pulled away and went to sit on a pile of hay. "I guess I sorta jumped the gun with him. I don't think he likes me much…"

Kristoff joined his daughter and pulled her into another hug. "What makes you say that?"

"For one he only ever talks to Freja." She began numbering out the reasons on her fingers as she spoke. "I feel like he's been avoiding me, he doesn't really pay attention to me in the first place, and to top it off, he totally just leaves me behind whenever she's around!" She blew some stray blonde hair from her face. "What does he even see in her anyway? She's kind of a freak, you know? The whole ice thing…"

He squeezed her tighter, though it was more a warning than anything. "Hey, your cousin isn't a freak. She's just…different. Like your aunt. They're just different." He sighed and leaned his cheek against her head. "Secondly… Maybe Ambrose just isn't the kind of guy you want. Maybe he just wants to be friends. Have you tried that?"

"Oh but Dad, he's so cute…!" She whined.

"Cute or not, he's from Weselton. Don't forget about that either."

Hilde grunted in disapproval and glanced at Gunter. "Maybe I'll just marry a reindeer…"

Kristoff laughed at her, the ridiculous notion of his daughter marrying a reindeer. Though he stopped as he remembered exactly how much time he'd spent with Sven in his youth. "Well…"

"Reindeers are better than people." She snuggled into her father's side. "Gunter thinks so, too."

"You talk to him?"

"Yeah, why?"

He shook his head. "No reason." With a smile he noticed she relaxed. "_Yeah, people will beat you and curse you and cheat you…_" He murmured in the voice he often used for his late reindeer friend.

"_Everyone one of 'em's bad, except you._" Hilde cracked open one eye.

"But people smell better than reindeers."

Gunter bleated in agreement, bobbing his head up and down as he munched on another carrot from a bucket nearby. "_That's once again true! For all except you._" Hilde giggled at her 'reindeer voice'. Unlike her father's, it was high-pitched and gravelly, completely unfitting a male reindeer.

"You got me." Kristoff grinned at her. "Let's call it a night."

"_Good night_…" She yawned, lying against him. Her blue eyes fluttered closed once more.

He reached up to gently rub her back. "Don't let the frostbite bite." He shared a knowing glance with Gunter before he gathered her in his arms. "Good night, Hilde," He whispered, gently planting a kiss on her forehead.

* * *

Ambrose shut the door tightly behind him as he entered his father's guest room. His own was just down the hall, in the opposite wing as the royal family. "Father?"

"Come in, my boy, come in." Sir William looked up from his desk where he was scribbling on some paper. "Tell me about the mountain."

"It was good. We had fun." He cleared his throat. "I asked the princess to let me escort her to the ball."

"Which one?"

"Freja."

Sir William's face broke into a smile. "Good, good. Be sure you're ready for it next week."

Ambrose stepped forward. "Next week?"

"Yes, the queen and I finally finalized a date for it while you were gone. She refuses to discuss any sort of business with me until that damned ball is over with." The smile disappeared as he frowned. "I can only hope her daughter is less stubborn."

"Freja is…interesting, that's for sure."

His father stood and walked to the window, glaring out at the swiftly approaching night sky. "Her magic is incredible."

"It's not as developed as the queen's, though. She told me there's no way she could make an ice palace." Ambrose looked at the floor. "But… She's still incredible."

"No matter. I'm just pleased you're getting along with her so well. Perhaps she'll put in a good word for me to her mother when the time for negotiations comes around." William turned to his son with a smirk. "In the meantime, you must be exhausted. Why don't you pay a visit to the princess before going to bed? See if she's all right. I heard she had quite an adventure on the mountain. And," he straightened his black suit jacket, "that you played the role of her hero?"

Ambrose shrugged. "I just didn't want her to get hurt."

"That's my boy." Sir William patted his shoulder. "Well, off with you. I have my own work to finish up. Have a good sleep, Ambrose."

"You too, Father." Ambrose quickly left the room, exhaling as he heard the door shut. He squared his shoulders and began walking across the castle where he knew the royal family slept. That much he _did_ glean from his effusive tour on his first day in Arendelle.

Long before he was ready he found himself standing outside her door. The white and blue paint seemed to glow in the moonlight streaming in through the window nearby. He took a deep breath and knocked three times. "Princess Freja? It's me, Ambrose." He let his hand drop back to his side.

The doorknob jiggled after a few moments and the door opened, revealing the princess. She held a robe about her body. "Ambrose? What are you doing here?" She tucked a piece of unruly hair behind her ear.

He noticed her headband was missing and instead she allowed her hair to fall around her shoulders. From the looks of it, it probably reached her mid-back. He shook himself. "I just wanted to check on you before I went to bed. Are you feeling any better?"

"Oh, that." She nodded with a weak smile. "Yes, I'm all right. A bit sore, but nothing I can't handle."

"Good. I was…worried a bit." He cleared his throat. "Well, good night."

"Good night." She waved at him before disappearing behind her door.

Ambrose took a deep breath as he walked back to his side of the castle. He couldn't believe how easily they'd made friends. Mostly he couldn't believe how easily he seemed to be developing feelings for her—and her for him. Perhaps the trip wouldn't be so bad. Besides, he figured; it'll finally bring some truth to all those rumors the girls back home spread about him.


	11. Once Upon A Time

**OH MY WORD this chapter is the longest one so far. Oh my word. But, it's full of fluff and AmbrosexFreja goodness, plot goodness, so it'll be fine.**

**Special thanks to all those that review/favorite/follow! I am so happy you enjoy the story, and I hope you continue to do so.**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, such as Freja, Hilde, Ambrose, Leif, etc.**

* * *

_Elsa held her daughter in her lap as she opened the book. She pushed off the ground with one foot, causing the rocking chair to sway back and forth. Freja snuggled up against her collar. "Ready, my dear?" Elsa whispered, reaching up to gently pet the princess's hair._

_ "Ready!" She chirped._

_ "Once upon a time, in a beautiful kingdom, there lived a young princess. She was a kind and loving princess, adored by all her people. One day a prince arrived. He was tall and handsome, and she fell in love with him." Elsa turned the page, inwardly giggling at the sappiness of the children's book. However, her daughter seemed engrossed, so she continued. "The princess wanted him to love her as much as she loved him. So she thought up a plan…"_

* * *

Freja looked up at Ambrose where they walked side by side. "How do you like Arendelle so far?" She asked, tilting her head ever so slightly. "I know you haven't really left the castle, but…" It had only been a few days since their excursion to the North Mountain.

"It's wonderful. It's so open and free. Weselton is practically a fortress. I don't get out much…" He gazed down at her. "So I'm looking forward to today."

"Good! Because I have some things planned." She brushed back a stray bit of hair that managed to escape the ribbon she used to tie it back into a ponytail. "If you'd like to do them, of course."

He held out his hand to gesture to the village. "You know Arendelle way better than I do. Besides, we have all day ahead of us."

"That's true. Why don't we get some breakfast first?" She knew a bakery was nearby and they could easily stop by for something to eat.

Ambrose chuckled as her stomach rumbled. "Hungry?"

"Just a little." She smiled nervously. "There should be a bakery around here. We can just get a loaf of bread or something."

"Just bread?" He shot her a questioning glance.

"Hey, it's good bread."

"I'll take your word for it." He gazed at her again, his grey eyes soft. "Lead the way." He held out his arm for her, ever the gentleman.

Freja linked her arm with his. "Just follow me."

* * *

_"The princess decided that if she could get the prince to fall in love with her kingdom, then he would never want to leave and he would fall in love with her. So, she took him to town with her in the early morning."_

_ Freja interrupted the story. "Before breakfast?" She gasped, her pale green eyes growing wide._

_ "I guess so."_

_ "Oh, you'd never let me do that, Mama."_

_ Elsa laughed before she turned to the next page. "Maybe if you had a good reason. Anyway." She cleared her throat. "The first thing she wanted him to do was eat some of her kingdom's delicious food. She loved it, and she knew he would enjoy it too."_

* * *

Ambrose pulled off another hunk of bread from the small loaf. "Freja, this is amazing!"

She reached for a piece of the sweet bread, baked just before they arrived. "I know, isn't it?"

"Even the food in Arendelle is better!" He swallowed hard. "If just a loaf of bread is this good, I can't wait to see what we have for lunch."

Freja tentatively reached up to brush some crumbs from his cheek. "Well, you'll just have to wait. In the meantime, we should just focus on finishing this up."

"That won't be a problem." He continued eating. "So, what are we doing next?"

"Well, to be honest I thought I'd pay a quick visit to my other aunt who lives here in the village." She glanced up at him. "If you wouldn't mind… She lives at the blacksmith's, so… You know, swords, pointy things. Guys like that, right?" She sighed as she realized she was beginning to ramble. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to drag you along with me to places you don't want to go."

He shook his head, popping the last bit of bread in his mouth. "No, that sounds fun. It's your father's sister?"

"Yes. She's younger than he is by a few years. A few years meaning five." Freja smiled slightly. "She recently had her third child."

"You have _more_ cousins?"

"Well, yes, but they aren't royal like Hilde and Gregory. They're normal." She averted her gaze, fighting the urge to add, "They're normal like I wish I could be."

Ambrose was too busy brushing the crumbs off his front to notice. "Let's go to the blacksmith's then. You'll have to lead the way."

"Right." She took his arm again and led him through the cobbled streets of Arendelle. A pleasant breeze blew in from the fjord, ruffling her bangs. She took a deep breath. "It's such a nice day…"

"You're not too hot?"

"No. Thank you for your concern, though." She glanced up at him.

He returned her gaze for a moment before turning to face forward, keeping his eyes trained on the streets. "Well, that first day we were here, you just about collapsed at the docks."

She tightened her grip on him ever so slightly. "It won't happen again, I promise. It was hotter then than it is now anyway."

"Well, if you swoon, let me know. I'll catch you." He gave her his best over-the-top chivalrous smile, raising his eyebrows in an attempt to look dashing.

Freja giggled and nudged him with a roll of her eyes. "I'll be sure to remember that." As they turned the corner onto another street, she smiled. "Hey, come with me!" She pulled him along the cobblestone.

* * *

_"She could tell the prince was having fun even though their adventure had just started. But, she wanted him to have even more fun, and she knew the exact place to take him for that."_

_ Little Freja stopped her mother from flipping the page. "Mama, why doesn't she just tell him she loves him? Wouldn't that make the prince love her back?"_

_ "Well, sometimes it doesn't quite work out that way…" Elsa ruffled her hair. "Sometimes people lie and tell you that they love you when they don't mean it."_

_ "But… But that's so mean!" Freja crossed her arms and frowned. "I would never do that."_

_ The queen couldn't stop the small laugh that bubbled past her lips. "I'm sure you won't, dear. Now, can we continue?" When she earned a nod from her daughter, she went ahead and turned to the next page. "The princess knew if there was a fun place in the kingdom, the marketplace was surely it. Flowers hung from every stall, and children laughed and played as their mothers shopped…"_

* * *

Almost as soon as the couple entered the marketplace, Freja was assaulted by a little girl. "Freja! Freja!" She cried, hugging the princess's knees.

Freja stumbled backward and would have fallen if Ambrose didn't catch her. "Told you." He smirked down at her.

"Th-thanks…" She felt a blush beginning to creep into her cheeks.

An older woman took away the child and helped the princess back on her feet. "I am so sorry about that."

"It's all right, Aunt Rose." Freja smoothed out her light dress before she knelt. "Hi there, Karina." She gently ruffled the girl's hair.

Ambrose cleared his throat. "Pleased to meet you, madam. I am Ambrose. I'm visiting Arendelle with my father from Weselton. The princess was kind enough to take me on a tour of the village." He cracked a polite smile at her aunt.

Rose giggled softly. "Please, you don't have to treat me like that."

"Aunt Rose, where are Hanne and Rupert?" Freja stood up, though she kept a cool hand on her small cousin's head.

"They're at home. I wanted to do some early morning shopping, but this little one decided she wanted to come with me." Rose smiled down at her middle child. "She's going to be just like her uncle, that one. Rambunctious and a nuisance."

"Mama, when are we gonna see Uncle Leif and Aunt Elsa again?" Karina glanced between her mother and Freja.

Rose looked at the princess. "Well…"

"You'll have to talk to Father about that one, Karina." Freja averted her gaze, knowing the royal family didn't have much time for them.

Karina, however, didn't pick up on it. "That's okay! Ooh, Freja, can you do the ice thing? Please?" She tugged on the princess's dress hopefully.

"Um…" She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. Not in the middle of everything."

Ambrose put his hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Freja. Just make her a snowflake or something. It doesn't have to be a whole ice rink." He gestured to her cousin. "Look at that face!"

"Oh, fine." Freja knelt again and held out her hand. "Watch closely now." She waved her other hand above her palm. Ice began to form, crackling up before it started to take shape. Karina watched with wide eyes as it slowly became a body, with four legs and a tail. Once the princess finished, she pressed it into her hand. "There."

"It's so cute!" Karina inspected the ice cat with wonder.

"Pity it'll melt…" Freja was about to stand up when she saw another child peering at her curiously. "I think I have a small audience…"

Ambrose watched with amusement as a few more children crowded around them, waiting for Freja to work more of her magic. He glanced to her aunt. "It's so beautiful…"

"I know. She just doesn't realize it." Rose took her daughter by the hand. "Keep an eye on her, Ambrose. She'll need it." She turned to walk away.

The Wesellian whirled to ask her what she meant, but she had already disappeared into the growing marketplace crowd. With a sigh he went back to gazing at the princess. Snow had started to fall around them, not that he minded. He smiled softly, not wanting to break her away from the group of children.

* * *

_"The princess and the prince spent all day together, laughing and playing in the kingdom. With every passing moment she fell more and more in love with him and she could only hope that he felt the same." Elsa noticed her daughter was starting to drift off. She slowed the rocking chair until it was only a delicate sway. "Unfortunately, the sun began to set, and she knew that soon she would have to go home."_

_ Freja yawned softly. "But she doesn't know if he loves her or not…"_

_ "We're almost at the end, dear. We'll find out." She took a deep breath. "With only one thing left to do, the princess took the prince to the seaside so they could watch night come together. The ocean was always beautiful, and she wanted him to see it. Perhaps, she thought, perhaps if he sees the sea he won't want to leave."_

* * *

The princess took a deep breath of the mountain air. "I had a good time with you today." She looked up at him.

"Me too." He chuckled. "Man, the look on that girl's face when you froze her dress was priceless!"

"Well, she should know better than to sully the good name of Arendelle's queen." Freja tried to keep a straight face, but it crumbled as she remembered. "She's probably thawed out by now."

He nodded. "Probably." He glanced to his left. "Wow, the fjord…" He stopped them to look. "Now that's a picture."

The orange and red lights of the setting sun glinted off the water and the mountains, causing the fjord to sparkle. A few ships stood out on the horizon, mere silhouettes. She nodded. "It's really pretty, isn't it? I can see the whole fjord from my room. Sometimes, after dinner, I'll open my window and climb out to sit on the windowsill and look at it."

"That's dangerous, Freja! What if you fell?" He turned to her with an almost angry glint in his grey eyes. He gripped her hands. "You could break a leg or something. What if you broke your neck and died?"

"Ambrose, calm down. If I ever fell and I can just make a nice, soft pile of snow to land on." She smiled slightly. "Besides, I'm not the clumsy one in my family. That would be the twins."

"Okay, well, let's say that while you were falling you hurt your hand or something. What then?"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I have two hands."

"Well…" Ambrose sighed. "Just be careful, all right?"

"I always am." She gazed up at him. "But, enough about that." She turned away, taking her hands back and staring out at the fjord. "Ambrose, I feel like we need to talk about Hilde."

He stood just behind her. "What about her?"

She remained silent, only turning her head enough to see him from the corner of her eye. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I already know she has a thing for me. I'm not stupid."

"That's not quite what I meant…"

"Freja, if you're wondering if I hate her, the answer is no. Hilde is just a bit clingy and I wish she'd back off a bit. That's one reason I'm glad you asked me out today. It was nice, getting out of a castle and doing something liberating." He revolved around her until he was at her front.

She sighed in relief. "Good. I was so worried that you didn't like her or something. I'd never want that for her. She's so awkward sometimes, but I just don't think she knows how to react to things. She gets along better with reindeer than people."

"How can you say that about her after the way she's treated you?" He narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowing.

Freja stepped off to the side to sit down on a nearby bench overlooking the fjord. "Well, I figure if she should happen to get married before I do, then I won't feel so bad when the time finally comes for me to take over the throne. If Hilde or Gregory is married, then I can probably convince the council to push succession rights over to them." She folded her hands in her lap. "I don't want to be queen…"

"Oh." He slid next to her, resting one arm on the back of the bench behind her. "Why not?"

"Ambrose, I'm not exactly normal, you know. I mean, I can shoot ice out of my fingertips. I already explained to you how dangerous I am." She sighed in aggravation. "I just… I'm not good enough."

He remained silent for a time before finally he spoke up again. "Queen Elsa is the same as you are, right?"

"Well yeah, but—"

"Then I wouldn't worry about it."

"Ambrose, you don't understand!" She turned to him, desperation in her voice. "I just… I don't like being here. I just wish I could go off somewhere and be alone. Then I wouldn't have to be queen, I wouldn't have to worry about hurting anyone." She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry; I know you don't care…"

He pulled her into a sideways embrace. "It's too bad you can't just come back to Weselton with us. You could do pretty much whatever you wanted there."

She laid her head against his shoulder. "Hmph. I don't think Mother would let me even get out of the castle before sending guards after me."

"Let's just not think about that." He stared out at the fjord, content with listening to the waves and Freja's even breathing where she sat beside him.

* * *

_Elsa stopped reading as she heard a small snore. Looking down, she saw the princess had fallen asleep. She smiled and put the book on a small table nearby before gathering Freja in her arms. "I can bet you the prince told the princess he loved her," She whispered into the semi-darkness, lit only by a single candle near the rocking chair. _

_ Gently, she placed her daughter in her bed and pulled the blankets over her sleeping form. "Good night, my dear." She placed a kiss to her forehead before turning and picking up the candle. Walking to the door, she turned for one last glance at the princess. She blew out the candle and left._

* * *

"Thank you for bringing her home, Ambrose." Elsa smiled at him in thanks. She glanced to her daughter, now nestled in her father's arms.

"Of course, Your Majesty." He bowed slightly. "I don't mean to be rude, but I would like to retire myself."

"Yes, by all means. We'll see you in the morning." Leif nodded before turning.

As they walked down the hallways to Freja's chambers, Elsa couldn't help but giggle softly. "When was the last time you had to carry her to bed?"

"It's been a while." He shifted her in his arms. "She's gotten bigger since then."

"Nothing you can't handle, I'm sure."

He smirked. "Of course not."

Upon their arrival to the blue and white door, Elsa opened it for him and strode in after her husband. He laid the princess down on her bed gently. "She must have been really tired…" He rubbed his arms.

"Must have." Elsa pulled the blankets over her and sat on the edge of the mattress. "I bet she had a fun day." She gently brushed away a lock of platinum hair from the princess's face.

Leif crossed his arms. "I'll have to have a chat with Ambrose later…"

"I'm sure they didn't do anything untoward." The queen gently squeezed her daughter's shoulder. "Good night, dear," She whispered, a faint smile on her lips. She got to her feet and gestured for her husband to follow her. The door clicked shut as they left, leaving Freja alone.


	12. Guest List

**I know this chapter is much shorter than the others I've written recently, but I need a bridge into the next section of our story. What better way to do it than through our favorite queen and crystal cutter?**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, such as Freja, Leif, Hilde, Gregory, etc.**

* * *

"Elsa, you're being ridiculous."

The queen growled in frustration, her jaw clenched shut. She shot her husband a venomous sideways glance. "I am _not_ the ridiculous one."

"So Will wants to invite the whole town. Okay, so what. We have the Great Hall and the courtyard. Besides, they'll carry the party all the way into the town square. We know that." Leif peered at her over his spectacles. He wore them only when he worked in his workshop, where currently he and the queen were situated. "Everything will be fine."'

She paced back and forth in front of his workbench. "Leif, do you not understand the volume of what he's asking? The amount of food we'd need itself is astounding! Not to mention drinks." She stopped. "Though perhaps if I made a large enough ice block and melted it, we'd have enough water…"

"Then don't invite the town. Invite the gentry."

"The gentry? The _gentry_?!" She snorted out a laugh. "Leif, we _are_ the gentry! Arendelle is so small that the royal family is not only the ruling factor but also the wealthiest. What, is it just going to be our families at this point?"

He sighed and looked up from the swan he slowly carved out of crystal. "Ellie, you're beginning to give even me a headache."

"I apologize. I just… This peace treaty ball is in three days and we don't even have the guest list sent out." Elsa sat herself in a nearby chair. "Sir William isn't doing a very good job of keeping me appeased."

Silence filled the room save for the soft chink of Leif's work. After a few minutes he piped up again. "How about the tradesmen?"

"Tradesmen? What do you mean?" She blinked at him.

"You know, folks like the blacksmith and the baker and the clergyman and so on. We can invite them as thanks for their services to the people of Arendelle and allow them to bring one guest of their choosing, like a wife. That way we fill up the ball but we don't crowd the castle." He blew some dust from his work. "And of course any travelers."

She smirked as she walked around to stand behind him. "If they're like you they'll just sneak in." She wrapped her arms around him.

"Well, I had to give you your gift somehow." His eyes widened and he nearly dropped his small knife. "Ellie?"

The queen had gently nipped his ear and was now nuzzling against him. "I am so tired…" She murmured into his neck.

"You've been hard at work." Leif removed the spectacles completely and turned to face her. She leaned on the back of the chair. "You seem pretty out of it right now."

"I told you I'm exhausted." She hid a yawn behind her hand.

He glanced at the clock hung on the wall. "Then go to bed. It's eight."

"Not without you." Her face flushed and she continued to gaze at him. "Is that swan more important than your wife?"

He swallowed hard and pulled his eyes away from her. "Elsa, don't make this hard for me. I have to get this done."

"More orders, I see…" She straightened up and raked a hand through her hair. "Well, don't stay up too late."

"Good to see you're being normal again." He slid the glasses on and went back to his work. "I'm sorry, Ellie, but I really have to get this done."

Elsa simply nodded and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Good night."

"G'night."

She made her way out of his workshop and into the cool night air of the courtyard. The sun had set, though only barely and upon looking up she couldn't see any of the stars. She shook herself, squaring her shoulders and heading back inside the castle. The guards opened the large doors for her as she walked by. She paid them little attention.

The halls of her home were empty and quiet. A small part of her missed the patter of feet as the twins chased each other around and Freja, oh little Freja, too small to join their fun at the time but she tried her hardest… A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. She found herself lost in nostalgia more often these days than she could ever remember. Now she was grown, her darling little sister was grown, and their own _children_ were grown.

Elsa shook her head. "I am far too tired for this…" She mumbled, forcing herself to move toward the master suite, the bedroom she shared with her husband like so many royal couples before her had done. The last rays of daylight filtered through the windows and coated the halls in an almost violet light.

She gave a sigh of relief as her fingers grasped the doorknob and pushed it open. Never before had her bed looked so inviting, and at the same time, so helplessly lonely. She frowned slightly. Normally when they retired both Leif and herself would go together. _Perhaps I'm the one that refuses to sleep without him…_ She stumbled into the closet to change into her nightgown.

Once the queen was fully prepared for what had the potential to be the best night's sleep of her life, she collapsed on the mattress with a grunt. She pulled the covers up over herself, settling into her side of the bed. In the semi-darkness she stared into the empty space that belonged to Leif. In her exhausted delirium, she allowed her imagination to run wild.

_What if we had never met…_ She mused, her eyes half-closed. A dry chuckle forced its way up her throat. "I suppose I would be alone," She whispered to the darkness. "I would be alone, and Freja would not exist. But…" A sigh; a long, drawn out sigh. "Surely I would have found a prince or someone. I need an heir after all."

Talking to herself was something she developed in her thirteen years of isolation, and it usually only cropped up during her work when she mumbled about trade agreements and court cases while signing them. Occasionally, however, the old habit came back; not that she minded much. Sometimes it was soothing to hear one's own voice, especially in the absence of any other voice.

Elsa sighed again and burrowed her way deeper into the pillows.

* * *

Sometime later she stirred awake and heard the bed frame groan. "Leif?" She whispered, perhaps a bit excitedly.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I was." She felt his fingertips graze her cheek to see in the darkness. "It's all right. I don't mind."  
He brushed his knuckle along her jaw. "You were tired. You need rest."

"I'm fine, now that you're here…" She edged closer to him.

He allowed her entrance into his arms and smiled warmly. "You're such a child sometimes."

"We both know who the real child is." Her voice was muffled from where she buried her face in his chest. Being a rather cold person, she looked forward to his warmth each night. She knew it would be something that no amount of years would change.

Leif tightened his grip if only a little. "Go back to sleep, Ellie. I'm right here." As he felt her relax, he added softly, "_And I'm not leaving anytime soon._"

* * *

**By the way, I've been entertaining an idea of perhaps, when this is over, doing yet _another_ installment. However, it would take place between _Elsa's Normal Life _and _Not Like The Rest_, instead being about how Leif and Elsa's relationship kicked off. It wouldn't happen for a while as this is only about half (possibly two-thirds) finished.  
**

**Please, leave me a review or just PM me with your thoughts if you wish me to know. **

**-LoRF**


	13. A Few Hours To Go

**I am so sorry this took so long. Though, you'll find out why at the end...**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, such as Freja, Leif, Hilde, Ambrose, etc.**

* * *

Hilde dashed into the ballroom, narrowly dodging a servant carrying a stack of plates. "Come on, Gregory!" She called over her shoulder.

Her twin lagged behind her. "Hilde, slow down!" He whined, his stocky build proving a bit too clunky to weave around the bustling hired help. "I'm trying to keep up!"

She stood in the middle of the door and tapped her foot impatiently. "Greg, _hurry up_. We don't have all day!"

"But we have a few hours…"

"Only a few hours until our destinies!" She grinned widely. "Well, my destiny."

He groaned as he got to her. "You're not going to get Ambrose to fall madly in love with you in one night."

"Shush." She put a finger to his lips. "Don't crush my dreams."

"Why do you even like that guy?" He followed her as she took off again.

She scoffed. "Excuse me, but he is not only cute, but he's smart and a gentleman. Plus… He's _foreign_. I could listen to him talk for hours." She smiled slightly. "His accent is amazing."

Gregory rolled his eyes as they walked together down a corridor. "Good luck getting him away from Freja."

"Oh, that won't be a problem." She waved her hand dismissively before tucking it neatly at her back. "You forget that I am not only older than she is, but wiser. We both are. Besides… I read somewhere that blondes have more fun." She reached up to twirl a lock of yellow-blonde hair around her finger.

"She's blonde too. Platinum blonde." In their youth, both of them would tease their poor cousin about having white hair until the queen put a swift stop to that. _"It's platinum. Platinum blonde, not white."_ She would scold them each time.

"Eh, nuance."

He growled in frustration and gripped her shoulder. "Hilde, what's gotten into you lately? You're not usually this, well, _mean_ for lack of a better word. I thought you liked Freja, but now I'm starting to think you hate her."

"Have you not noticed that each and every time there's a young man around they always go straight for her?" Hilde's voice softened. "It's not really fair, if you think about it. I understand that she's the crown princess, but she… I just…" She broke off in an irritated sigh.

Gregory stopped her and gazed at her, his brown eyes warm with concern. "What is it? Hilde, you know you can tell me. You can tell me anything."

"To be honest, I've always been a little jealous of her." She smiled weakly. "That's stupid, isn't it? I can't really help it, though. The ice thing is pretty cool, after all."

The prince nodded in agreement. He remained silent, however, and allowed his sister to continue speaking. It wasn't often they were together that Hilde did most of the talking.

"So whenever we have all these balls and everything, she's always swarmed by princes and dignitaries and people like that. 'Oh, you must be the Ice Princess!' 'Oh, you must be the queen's daughter. You look just like her!' Blah blah blah… It just doesn't seem fair, because she doesn't even want to be the heir."

"She doesn't really have a choice." Gregory cleared his throat. "I mean, really."

She exhaled quickly. "I know, I know…" She squeaked as he wrapped an arm around her neck, drawing her close to him. "What the heck are you doing, you redheaded freak?!"

"Aw, come on, Hilde! We just had a bonding moment and I'm hugging you to top it off!"

"This isn't a hug, you idiot!" She struggled to get away from the taller boy, though her attempts were futile. He was much stronger than she could ever hope to be.

He relaxed his hold on her. "Seriously though, I know where they keep the chocolate, and I think you need some."

She smoothed out her ball gown and raked a hand through her hair. "Well…" A smile broke out along her face. "All right, just a little."

"Great. Now it's your turn to follow me!" He turned swiftly and dashed off.

"_Gregory!_" She whined, doing her best to keep up.

* * *

"Mother?" Freja gazed at the queen in the mirror.

"Yes?"

The princess took a deep breath. "Ambrose…asked me if I would let him be my escort."

Elsa's hand stilled where she brushed back her daughter's hair. "And you told him…?"

"I accepted."

She smiled slightly and put down the brush. "That's wonderful. I'm glad you two have taken a liking to each other. I would hate for him to feel left out."

"Heh, yeah, me too…"

Elsa's left eyebrow rose as she began to braid the princess's hair. "Is there something you're not telling me, Freja?" Her voice, though not necessarily intimidating, had lowered.

"N-no!" She plastered a fake smile on her face.

"Freja, if you fancy this young man that's perfectly fine. I'm only curious."

The girl's shoulders dropped in relief and exhaled in a rush. "Well, he is cute."

"Eh." Elsa shrugged. "He's not nearly as handsome as Leif, but he'll do, I suppose."

"Mother…" Freja rolled her eyes with a faint smile.

The queen giggled softly and placed a snowflake at the end of the braid to keep it together during the ball. "You're finished." She shook her head. "Wait a moment." She reached for the black headband and slid it back on Freja's platinum hair. "There."

"Thank you." Freja stood and smoothed out her dress. "Well, I should probably go make sure I have the dress I need."

"Mm…" Elsa put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Freja, would you like to try making your own?"

"M… My own dress? Like… Ice?" Freja swallowed hard. "But Mother, I can't even thaw things!"

Elsa smiled warmly. "I didn't know how to thaw when I made my first."

"I don't even know how to start…"

"I'd suggest getting undressed to begin with. That's why I no longer have my coronation dress. Not that I particularly mind, of course, but considering how you seem to wear that particular one quite a bit I think you'd like to keep it." The queen ensured the door was closed. "Here, no one will bother us. You can go ahead."

Freja, feeling her face reddening more by the moment, swiftly undressed until she was left in her underclothes. She looked up to see her mother had done the same. She frowned slightly. "We're both so pale."

"Well, yes, but that's what happens when you're practically made of winter." Elsa placed a hand on her hip. "Now, you know the basics of a dress, correct? Proper fittings and whatnot?"

"I wear one every day, I should hope so." The princess wrapped her arms about herself.

Her mother smirked. "True. Well, follow my lead. The trick is to not create ice that's too thick. You need to be able to move around." She waved her hand over herself, a trail of ice following her motions. It crept over her arms and chest, shimmering down her legs and ending in a cape down her back. "It's literally that easy."

Freja's eyes were wide. "You make that look so easy…"

"Go on, give it a try."

Taking a deep breath, Freja tried to copy her mother's movements.

* * *

Kristoff smiled as he watched his wife rush around the ballroom. "Anna, I think everything's fine."

"It has to be perfect!" She ran her hand over a tablecloth to smooth it out for the tenth time.

"It _is_ perfect." He hooked his arm around his waist in an attempt to pull her away from the stressful room. "Come on, let's just go wait outside."

She pouted slightly. "Kristoff, I just want to make sure that everything is where it needs to be."

"Sir William said he'd take care of everything. Let him handle it."

He led her toward the gardens, his arm still firmly about her waist to hold her close. "In a few hours, we won't have to worry about anything, because it'll be well under way."

"Are you already planning your escape?"

He winced. "You know I don't like crowds, Anna…"

"Just don't forget to let Gregory know when you're leaving." She patted his chest. "Maybe you two can enjoy some wonderful father-son bonding time."

"And you and Hilde and spend the entire night dancing."

Anna took a deep breath of fresh air as they stepped into the cluster of forest on the castle grounds. "I worry about her sometimes. Both of them, actually. Hilde seems to be a bit too gung-ho about men and Gregory isn't showing any interest in girls."

"That's all right, Anna." He glanced down at her. "Hilde doesn't need to be off with guys and Gregory can be a bachelor. It's their decision."

"Kristoff, I was eighteen when we met. In this day and age you can't take all the time in the world to find your true love, and it's bothering me a little bit that neither of our children are courting!"

The ice harvester sighed and stopped, turning his wife toward him. "Anna, everything will be fine. Our kids aren't going to be forever alone. There's nothing to worry about."

"I just can't help it." She grinned sheepishly up at him with a shrug.

"It means you care." He took a deep breath and held out his arm again. "Only a few hours to go."

Anna nodded. "And then the ball begins."

* * *

"Only a few hours to go, my boy." Sir William adjusted his collar in the mirror. He rubbed a kerchief over one of the medals pinned to his jacket.

Ambrose nodded and shoved his arms through the sleeves of his shirt. He buttoned up the front and shoved the tails into his black trousers "After tonight is over, you'll start negotiations with the queen, right?"

"Of course," He fairly purred. "However, Ambrose, if you do your job correctly I won't need to do much negotiating."

The young Wesellian grimaced. "Father, the princess is only a child. I can't lie to her like this."

"Nonsense. You're doing a marvelous job so far." Sir William crept behind him and assisted him with his jacket. "Young Freja is just about head over heels for you. All I need now is a catalyst for her to finally snap." He smirked. "Arendelle will crumble beneath us, Ambrose. If the queen fears her daughter is in danger, she will relinquish anything to ensure her safety."

"But we're not going to harm her, are we?"

The ambassador's face fell before he reached up to stroke the thin black mustache decorating his upper lip. "No, of course not. Freja _is_ still the princess, after all. We will treat her with respect and dignity, even if she refuses our demands." He whirled his son around and straightened his appearance. "However, if she _does_ refuse to be Weselton's newest weapon of war, then I'm going to have to use force."

"Father, I've seen what she can do. She's stronger than any of us. We're not going to be able to sail her back to Weselton without rendering her practically senseless first."

"So be it." Sir William smiled again. "You should go prepare to escort the princess to the ball. Remember, Ambrose." He tucked his hands behind his back and drew himself up, his broad chest shining with medals and a scarlet sash. "Do not let our true intentions be known. Everything must go smoothly in order for us to succeed."

"Yes sir." He turned to leave the room.

"One more thing."

He angled his head to hear his father. "Sir?"

"Do not let your own feelings get in the way." William chuckled dryly. "For all her beauty, she is a monster. Both of them."

Ambrose swallowed hard and left the room. He smoothed down his hair once he was in the hallway. _I'm so sorry, Freja…_ Steeling himself, he set off to find the crown princess of Arendelle.

* * *

**I had wanted to save the big villain reveal for later, but I figured it'd be more traumatizing if we all knew about it and poor, helpless Freja didn't. Also I'm trying so hard to redeem Hilde and I don't think it's possible anymore.**

**-LoRF**


	14. Dance With Me?

**Having three fanfics going on at once, I'm having to spread out my time a bit thinner. Don't worry; this fic will continue, but updates won't be as frequent. that said, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, such as Freja, Leif, Ambrose, Gregory, etc.**

* * *

"Presenting Her Majesty Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" Kai's voice rang clear in the courtyard as he gestured to the entering queen. "Also presenting His Majesty King Leif of Arendelle!"

The crowd bowed deeply before the two monarchs, though everyone in attendance knew Leif wasn't actually king. To prevent confusion and longer titles than necessary, Elsa gave him the honorary title of "King", to be used only in social situations. Otherwise he held no power over the country save for what he could convince his wife to do.

"And finally, Her Highness Princess Freja of Arendelle!"

Freja stepped forward from the shadows, her dress shimmering in the light. Her cold gaze swept over the crowd. As soon as her eyes alighted on Ambrose, she softened, a small smile curling her lips. She allowed herself a small wave to him.

"…a wonderful night for a ball."

The princess whipped her head around to face the voice, which came from her left. Sir William Daladier stood before her, his hands tucked neatly behind his back and his chest gleaming with medals. "Good evening, Sir William." She nodded in his direction.

"Good evening, young Princess Freja." His lips twitched into a smirk beneath his thin mustache. "I was just speaking with your mother about the festivities. They seem to be going quite well, don't you think?"

"Yes." She turned slightly to avoid his piercing gaze.

The queen cleared her throat. "The decision to hold it in the courtyard was marvelous. I'd almost forgotten how enjoyable summer evenings can be."

"Indeed, they are wonderful." Sir William chuckled softly.

Freja ignored the adults' conversation as she continued to search for Ambrose again. He disappeared from his place in the crowd and no matter how hard she looked she could not find him. Her eyes scanned the mob of people, aching to find the young man in black amid a sea of color.

Her thoughts were once again shattered by the ambassador. "Queen Elsa, if I may be so bold as to ask to be your dance partner for the first tune of the evening?"

"I'm sorry, Sir William, but I already have a partner." Elsa stepped closer to her husband, linking her arm with his. "For the entire night."

Sir William straightened and took his hand back. "Of course. Quite all right." He bowed away from them before melting into the throng of people.

Leif grinned down at the queen before transferring it to his daughter. "Freja, go enjoy yourself. Your mother and I can hold down the fort here."

"Oh…" Freja shifted her weight from foot to foot and ducked her head.

Elsa placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Why don't you go find Ambrose? Go have some fun. You deserve it."

The princess nodded before she stepped away from them. Hurrying into the crowd, she started her search for Ambrose again. "Excuse me!" She grunted, shoving her way between a pair of couples. As she tried to regain her footing she felt herself crash into someone else.

"_Freja!_"

She looked up to see her cousin glaring at her, her blonde hair limply flopped over her forehead from her spilled drink. "Hilde, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" She took a few steps back.

Gregory reached out as if to grab her hand. "Freja, watch where you're going!"

The princess once again found herself falling, though this time a pair of warm arms caught her. "I told you I'd catch you," Her savior murmured.

"Ambrose!" She whipped her head up to gaze at him. She smiled slightly. "Sorry about this…"

"No problem, Princess." He set on her feet.

Freja straightened her dress. "I was looking for you."

"Oh." He averted his gaze. "I was, uh, talking to my father. He wanted to tell me something. Sorry. I'm not a very good escort, am I?"

"Don't say that! I was stuck up by my parents until they let me go, so it didn't really matter."

Ambrose opened his mouth to say something else when Hilde cut in, a new drink in her hand. "So, what do you think of the ball so far, Ambrose?" She flashed him a smile.

"I like it. It's very open." He looked around for a moment before returning his attention to her. "Which is a good thing with all these people."

"And just think, these are only the tradesmen of Arendelle and travelers." Hilde took a sip of her drink. "And their wives, of course."

Freja gripped Ambrose's arm. "That means Aunt Rose is probably here with her husband!"

"I did see three little kids running around the castle earlier." Gregory shrugged. "Wasn't sure who they belonged to, though."

"Father's sister. My cousins. Your… Nothing, actually. I guess they're not technically related to you at all." The crown princess frowned slightly.

The sound of a new song beginning overtook their conversation as several people around them got into position for the folk dance. Hilde pursed her lips. "Well, if you need me, I'll be by the refreshments." She waved her hand absently and left them, trying to get as far away as possible from the dancers.

"She can't really dance besides a waltz." Gregory began to follow her when a young woman nabbed his arm. Instead of resisting, he laughed and allowed her to drag him along to the crowd.

Ambrose cleared his throat and held out a gloved hand for the princess. "Freja?" He asked, his grey eyes sparkling.

"Of course." She slid her cool palm into his, grateful for the gloves he wore.

He pulled her into the crowd and got himself into position. He leaned in toward her as they faced each other. "Freja, can I tell you something?"

"Well, yes, anything." She smiled slightly.

"I have no idea what I'm doing."

The princess had only time to gasp before the music charged into full swing and the dance began. "Just follow what everyone else is doing!" She called to him above the din.

"I'll try!"

She kept her eye on him throughout the dance, or at least to the very best of her ability, as a she was swept along. The dance was lively, keeping her very much on her toes about what to do next. Unlike her cousins she was trained in several of the folk dances of Arendelle; though she hardly ever put her skills to use and thus still found herself quite confused by the time everything was said and done.

Freja found him again once the dance was over. "You're still standing, so that's good."

"Barely." He offered her a strained smile. "That was…interesting."

"I'll say."

"Well, that's what we get for inviting the locals."

She bristled at the comment. She knew he didn't mean anything cruel by it, but it still struck a chord with her. "Hmph. Well, yes, they're not the most sophisticated of people, but Arendelle isn't exactly normal."

"True. It's quaint." He held out his arm for her to take. "Let's go get a drink."

"I know they're serving champagne this evening…" She linked their elbows.

"Mm." He glanced down at her. "Freja, is your dress made of…ice?"

She nodded shyly. "Mother decided that I should try to make my own for this evening. What do you think? Is it all right?"

"It… It's, um, it looks great on you." He turned his head slightly to avoid attention to the growing blush on his cheeks.

Freja's smile grew bigger as she realized he liked her talents.

"So, were you saying you wanted some of the champagne?" He went to grab a glass as they approached the table.

A hand smacked his down before he could make it. "_You_ are underage."

"Hilde!" Freja sighed irritably. "And just how many have you had?"

"A few." The older girl held her own glass in her fingers. "Unlike you I'm allowed."

"You're going to end up with a hangover tomorrow if you don't stop. Where's Gregory?" Freja looked around, not seeing the prince. "He's supposed to watching over you."

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Oh please. He's over being trampled by girls from town. And I don't need anyone watching over me." She tilted her head back to drain the glass. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Your Highness, if I may, you seem to be swaying a bit…" Ambrose raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." She grabbed another glass. "Yeesh."

They watched her go before the Wesellian took a deep breath. "I hope she ends up all right."

"Me too. I've never seen her tipsy and I really don't want to, either. Aunt Anna should get a hold of her before that, though." Freja cleared her throat and blinked rapidly. "It's getting a bit warm out here." She felt her head begin to spin.

"Are you getting overheated?" He gripped her arm tighter. "Come on, let's get away from all these people." He scanned the courtyard for a secluded place before he spied the open gates. "The bridge. We can go there."

She followed him as he led her by the hand through the crowd. Had he not been pulling her along, she easily could have stumbled and fallen multiple times. When they broke through the sea of faces he dragged her to the side of the bridge. "There. Feeling any better?"

"A bit." She focused on breathing for a bit before she gazed up at him, her pale face flushed. "Sorry."

"Does this happen a lot?" He placed his hand at the small of her back.

Her eyes widened at the touch. She wanted to be honest with him. She wanted to tell him, _"It's been happening a lot since you got here. It's been happening a lot because of you."_ However, instead she coughed awkwardly and swallowed hard. "Ah… Occasionally. It's summer, after all."

"Right, right." He leaned on the railing with her and looked out at the fjord. "The stars are bright this evening."

"They're beautiful." She smiled slightly.

Ambrose turned his gaze to her. "So, now that the ball has—_is_—happened, Father and the queen will start negotiating the new peace treaty."

"I guess." She chewed her bottom lip. "So… That means you'll be leaving soon." Her voice came out as a desperate whisper.

He inhaled sharply. In the glare of the light from the ball and beneath the moon, Freja looked positively forlorn. He reached out to her again, this time wrapping his arm about her shoulders and pulling her close as they gazed at the waters. "I guess it does," He replied finally.

"Ambrose, I don't want you to leave…" She looked up at him. "You're… You're sort of the first friend I've ever had."

"I'm glad I could be that person, Freja." He smiled warmly. "I don't want to leave either. Arendelle is a wonderful place."

She made no reply and instead shifted her attention to the fjord sparkling beneath the stars. He cleared his throat. "Do you remember, back at the ice palace, when I told you that you should come to Weselton someday?"

"Mm-hm."

"I wasn't kidding. You could always visit me in Weselton, and I can always come back to Arendelle. Just because I'm leaving after the negotiations doesn't mean we'll never see each other again." He turned toward her, leaning his elbow on the railing while his other hand slid down her arm to hers. "And we can always write letters."

She looked up, a blush splashed across her cheeks. "You're right. We can." She grinned. "I mean, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, I think it'd be fun." He nodded. "I'll send one as soon as I get home, in fact. I'll start it out, _My dearest Princess Freja of Arendelle_—"

Freja shoved him lightly. "Seriously?"

"All right, all right. _My best friend Freja_. Is that better?"

She simply evened her gaze with his, a little displeased he cut out _dearest_. As she prepared an answer the sound of a new song drifted to her ears. She recognized it as being a slow waltz. "Oh." She turned to face the crowd.

He took hold of her hand again, gently. "Freja, would you like to dance with me?"

Instead of replying, she simply fell into position, one hand at his shoulder and the other firmly held in his palm. He gripped her waist before he swept her into the waltz. She gazed up at him, losing herself in his warm grey eyes. A small smile played on his lips. "Freja?" He said after some time.

"Yes?"

The smile disappeared, replaced by a frown. "I…" He shook his head, the grin returning. "You're a wonderful dance partner."

"Thank you." She knew he most likely meant to say something else, but she buried the thought in her mind. Before long she lost herself to his warmth again as they danced beneath the moon.


	15. Runaway

**Hnngh, this took forever. I apologize. I do have an announcement, though: we're reaching the end of our tale. Don't be sad, though; when we finish this one I have a special surprise waiting. My next fic will be either the tale of Elsa and Leif's courtship or of the King and Queen of Arendelle. I'm not sure which one I want to do, yet. In the meantime, enjoy chapter fifteen!**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, such as Freja, Ambrose, Leif, Gregory, etc.**

* * *

Elsa glanced around her breakfast table at her family, a small smile on her face. Hilde and Gregory were actually getting along for once and Freja seemed to be enjoying her conversation with Ambrose. Kristoff was in a heated discussion with her husband over ice and Sir William talked with her sister about sandwiches. She stabbed more of the meat on her plate and slid it off her fork into her mouth.

The days since the ball passed smoothly. She and Sir William spent much of their time in meetings, either private or including the council. Afterward she would often go to her husband for his input, to which he happily obliged. If everything went well, the negotiations would be over in a few days and Arendelle and Weselton would be well on their way to a new friendship.

"Maybe I can even show you Father's workshop! If that's all right, anyway."

"Wait, what?" Elsa looked at her daughter. "Freja, what are you talking about?"

The princess turned with a smile. "Ambrose and I are trying to plan what we want to do today."

"Ah." Elsa placed her fork at the edge of her plate and dabbed at her lips. "Speaking of which, Freja, I was told that you've been missing your lessons."

Freja's face fell and her gaze turned to a glare. "Mother…" She groaned. "It's summer!"

"As the future queen of Arendelle you know it's your duty to study year-round. I did it, my father did, and I'm sure his father did it before him. Think of it as a family tradition." The queen forced herself to smile, though it looked more like she was baring her teeth. "Now, after breakfast I fully expect you to go to the library and catch up on your studies. You and I both know you struggle with arithmetic."

However submissive the princess once was, it crumbled away as Freja continued the conversation her mother obviously finished. "Gregory and Hilde don't have to study like I do!" She cried.

Elsa remained calm. "Gregory and Hilde aren't next in line for the throne, dear."

"I never asked to be."

The room quieted as anger flashed across the queen's face. She exhaled slowly, one mahogany eyebrow rising. "Excuse me?"

"I never asked to be your heir. How many times do I have to tell you that I don't _want_ to be queen? Let Aunt Anna do it! Aunt Anna would make a great queen! Or Hilde! Or even Gregory! I don't care!" Freja's face flushed as she talked.

"You don't have a choice in the matter, Freja. As you are my daughter by blood you are my heir. It isn't a matter of who I _want _to succeed me for the throne; it's who is rightfully eligible. Now, I suggest you cease your arguing or else you're going to have more than just lessons to worry about."

Freja stood up, her hands curled into fists as she glared at her mother. "You never think about how I feel! Do you have any idea what it's like living like this?!"

"To live like what? Free to do as you want without a care in the world? Because no, I do not have any idea what that feels like!" The queen roared, jumping to her feet so quickly the chair toppled over. "Freja, I am giving you one, final warning to stop this and to apologize to our guests for your unruly behavior!"

"The only thing I should apologize for is not being good enough for _The Snow Queen_!"

Elsa gasped softly. She pointed to the door. "Your chambers. _Now_." She took a shaky breath. "Do not leave until I give you permission."

"And when's that gonna be? Thirteen years?" The princess stopped walking and challenged the queen, her pale green eyes smoldering in their sockets.

In a fluid motion she reached out to grab her daughter's wrist. "If it's a Snow Queen you want, then it's a Snow Queen you'll get." She stepped around the fallen chair and dragged the girl behind her. "Don't struggle," She hissed.

"Let me go!" Freja tried digging her heels into the carpet, but her mother proved too strong for her.

The rest of the attendees to breakfast watched as the door was opened by a guard and the two disappeared into the corridor. An uncomfortable silence settled over them. Sir William was the one to break it by clearing his throat. "W-well…"

"Oh, she was mad." Hilde looked at her mother. "Mom, she was _scary mad_."

"I haven't seen Elsa that upset in years." Anna gazed down into her lap. "I hope she doesn't do anything rash…"

Leif slammed his drink down on the table. "I'm not going to allow her to harm my child." He stood up and barreled through the doors after them.

"She'll be all right, won't she?" Ambrose glanced at her family.

"Who? Freja or Aunt Elsa?" Gregory picked at the food remaining on his plate.

"Both."

Kristoff chuckled dryly. "They'll be fine. They've fought before."

"Never like that…" Anna whipped her head up as the doors opened again.

"I'm afraid Freja will not be joining us until further notice." Elsa deftly righted her chair and sat down again.

Leif stood behind her. "You're being ridiculous again."

"Nonsense. It's about time we were firm with that spoiled brat of a girl." She picked up her teacup for a drink but it froze before it even made it to her lips. She stared at it dumbly, her hand shaking. "Besides, a little harsh punishment every now and then is good for you. We can talk about this later."

"Fine. Fine." He raised his hands, exasperated, and made his way to the other end of the table.

The air in the dining room remained strained and at least ten degrees colder than when the meal started. Elsa seemed almost _too_ focused on her meal by the way she meticulously cut everything just so. To say she was upset would be an understatement. Anna swore she even saw a few snowflakes flutter to the table above her sister's head.

Only a few minutes later a maid burst into the room. "Your Majesty!" She wheezed. "Your Majesty, we have a situation!"

"What is it?" She turned angrily.

"The princess is—is gone!"

"Gone? You mean to tell me I turn my back for a few minutes and she's already escaped?!" She made the motion to get up when she instead sighed and leaned her arm on the table. "Well, where did she go?"

The maid swallowed hard. "I… I don't know…"

"Go see if her horse is still in the stables and report back to me." Elsa rested her cheek in her palm. She rolled her eyes to gaze at her husband. "That girl is going to be the death of me."

"I don't think your hair can get any whiter, Else." Anna tried desperately to hide her snicker.

Elsa couldn't even bring herself to glare at her sister, so instead she opted for a half-hearted giggle. "Perhaps…"

Ambrose cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, do you really believe the princess ran away?"

"Why wouldn't she? She has every right to in the world. Obviously I'm not stopping her. Why would I deny her the one thing I could never do? I know she doesn't like life in the castle, but it's what she was born into. You can't help what you're given. If we could, well… Let's just say that I wouldn't be who I am today." She smiled weakly.

Before long a guard entered the room. "Your Majesty, we've been notified that the princess and her horse are both missing from the grounds."

"Thank you." She sighed and looked to her husband. "Well. It seems Freja has run away."

* * *

Though the queen acted aloof and cold whenever the subject of her daughter's sudden departure, in reality she could barely keep back the ice that threatened to escape her from worry. She knew she had only to hold out until after dinner; then, and only then, could she and her husband finally share a moment alone and she would be free to do as she wished. Never before had a meeting taken so long in her life. Never before had she desperately wanted to sneak away from dinner. And never before had she been so relieved to open the library doors.

"Leif…" She breathed as she saw him standing by the fire.

He turned around. "Ellie. Good to see you could make it." An easy smile graced his features.

"Has anyone brought word of her back?"

The smile vanished and he shook his head. "No, nothing."

She collapsed in a chair, her body trembling. "I'm such a fool, Leif. I scared her off."

"You seemed pretty angry with her." He knelt before her, taking her cold hands in his. "What did you do?"

"I ordered her to stay in her room, just like I told you." She drew in a shaky breath. "But… I couldn't hold everything back." She winced at the memory of practically slamming the girl against a wall and how forcefully she gripped her daughter's jaw to ensure all her attention was focused. "I shouted at her—screamed, more like—for calling me The Snow Queen. I told her that she should consider herself lucky. She doesn't know what true suffering is. She doesn't know what it's like being locked up for thirteen straight years knowing that everything you have ever loved is on the other side of a door, a _door_, and all it takes it to turn the doorknob but you can't because…"

She didn't need to finish her story. Leif gathered her in his arms, half-carrying her to the divan so they could sit together. "So that's what happened." He gently stroked her hair as it tried desperately to stay in a bun from her hectic day.

"I already know I'm the single worst mother Arendelle has ever witnessed." Her voice was muffled where she pressed her face into his collar.

"Don't say that." He wrapped his arms around her. "No, no, you're not. You're just…sensitive."

She relaxed a bit.

He continued, "You're just not used to this and neither is she. Someday she'll wake up one morning and go, 'Hey. I have the coolest, most awesome mom ever. Man I love her.'" He chuckled. "And she'll think, 'Huh, my dad's the most handsome guy in the kingdom. I better find a man just like him!'"

Elsa giggled and looked up at him. "Oh really?"

"It just takes some time. She's going through a stage in her life where everything is confusing and she hates it. She'll get out of it soon." He took a breath and added, "I hope."

"Me too." She turned so her back was against his chest. "I'm worried about her, Leif. I hope she comes home soon."

"We could go after her." He nuzzled her head with his chin.

She found his hand and dragged it across her waist. "No. I want her to do this on her own. Maybe this is what she's been trying to tell me. That she wants to be free."

"If she's not home by morning, we're going after her."

"Agreed."

Leif hugged her from behind and bent his head so his lips were at her ear. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"What is it?" She whispered tersely.

"I already think you're the coolest, most awesome mom ever. And I love you."

She smirked and craned her head back to look at him. "And I think you're the most handsome guy in the kingdom."

"Ooh, lucky me." He grinned cheekily.

Elsa maneuvered herself around to kiss him. "Don't get too cocky."

"Only for you, Ellie." He rubbed his nose against hers. "Only for you."


	16. Departure

**I'd just like to say that I've had this chapter planned out since chapter three. And it turned out perfectly. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, such as Freja, Ambrose, Leif, Sir William, etc.**

* * *

"Hm?" Freja tilted her head slightly. The gates to the castle courtyard were wide open, where normally they would be closed this late at night. She furrowed her brow, though it softened as she smiled slightly. The queen probably ordered the gates to be left open for her daughter's return.

She loosened her grip on her horse's reins. "We're home, Peppermint."

The pure-white horse tossed his head. A gift for the princess a few birthdays ago, he was named by Princess Anna purely for the fact that he reminded her of ivory mints. It was yet another reason that Anna should not be allowed to name things. He nickered and nudged her lightly.

"I know, I know. You're tired. I am too." She patted his nose. "Go on ahead." She released the reins and watched him scamper into the courtyard, most likely knocking into the stables and waking the stable hands.

Freja walked to the side of the bridge and leaned over it, gazing at her reflection in the cold water of the fjord. A frown tugged at her lips. Every time she saw herself, she saw her mother. Save her eyes and a few other minute details, the two looked almost identical, especially when compared to the queen in her youth. She arched her dark brown eyebrows. Elsa stared back at her.

She angrily formed a ball of ice in her palm and threw it down into the water with a splash. It rippled beneath the moon. "I can't be you, Mama…" She whispered, raking her fingers through her platinum hair. "I've tried and I just _can't_."

Every day of her life she'd been groomed to take over Arendelle in the event something happened to the queen or when Elsa finally stepped down. Freja found castle life to be stifling, boring, and difficult. Since revealing her powers her mother leapt on her with the opportunity to teach her the proper way of controlling the storm. She didn't necessarily mind the lessons at first until they became more complex.

She had no problem admitting her jealously of her cousins. Gregory and Hilde were only expected to keep up appearances, not rule a country. They were free to do as they wished, and in fact Greg harvested ice with his father more often than not while Hilde roamed the forests. Since growing up, both of them left little Freja behind.

Freja always felt left behind.

She didn't blame her parents for marrying a bit late. Elsa wasn't the type to easily fall into a relationship, after all. She didn't blame them for having her little more than two years after Anna already gave birth to twins. She couldn't possibly hope to pin any kind of fault on her parents; they were only human.

The princess rested her head on her hand as she gazed out over the dark waters. Since meeting Ambrose, she tasted a hint of adventure; and it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy her. For the first time from when he first suggested it, she seriously considered running away to Weselton. At least there she wouldn't have to endure pointless lessons about the quadratic formula or which Norse god married who and who they were in Greek and Roman cultures. In Weselton she wouldn't have to know much of anything; except, perhaps, English, though Ambrose could translate for her until she remembered enough of her lessons.

Just as she'd made up her mind, she heard the light footfall of someone behind her. She whirled around and her face broke into a smile. "Ambrose. I was just thinking about you."

"Oh really?" He gazed at her sadly. "Is that what you do in the moonlight, all alone…?"

"Well, I was actually thinking about taking you up on your offer." She turned to lean against the side of the bridge, crossing her legs before her. Moonlight reflected off her black riding boots. "I want to go back to Weselton with you."

His grey eyes widened. "You… _What_?" He choked out.

"I want to go to Weselton, Ambrose. I don't want to deal with _this_ anymore." She gestured to the castle. "I'm tired of just being treated like a child. You saw what happened with my mother this morning. She doesn't care about me. None of them do."

"Freja, they care about you, _especially_ your mother. She's been worried about you all day." Ambrose gazed at her intently, eyes narrowed. "Are you _sure_ you want to leave all this behind?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "It's not like I'd be leaving Arendelle forever, right?"

He turned his head away from her. "N-no…"

"Listen, if you're worried about whether or not I'll fit in, I wouldn't worry about it. I think the only thing that's keeping me back is the language barrier." She smiled slightly. "I'm just glad your Norwegian is good, or else I'm not sure how we'd talk."

"Honestly there are a few things you say that I don't understand…"

"Sorry." She stood up straight and rubbed her arm. "Ambrose, this is something I really want to do. I just want to get away for a little bit. Haven't you ever felt like that?"

He nodded. "Everyday."

"Then you know exactly how I feel!" She noticed he still look unconvinced. Sighing, she crossed her arms. "What will it take for me to convince you to let me come along? I thought you wanted me to come back with you anyway."

"Well, I did, but…" Ambrose took a deep breath. "All right. If you can ask me to come along in English, I'll let you come. Then I'll know you can make it in Weselton on your own. Kinda."

She grimaced before clearing her throat and racking her brain for her lessons. "Okay… Ah… Do I have to address you?"

"My name is the same either way."

The princess nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Here goes nothing. _Ambrose, I can come viz you t-to Veselton, ja?_"

"_Your accent is hilarious._" He tried to hide his grin.

She swatted at his arm. "So do I pass or not?"

The smile vanished and he seemed almost sad as he evened his gaze with hers. "Yeah. You pass."

"Thank you!" She crossed her arms smugly. "And you didn't think I could do it."

"With an accent that thick, I'll be surprised if anyone can understand you, _ja_?"

"_Ja_." Freja rolled her eyes. "Let's go tell your father. He'll need to arrange my passage, after all."

He held out his arm for hers. "Right."

She linked her elbow with his and allowed him to accompany her into the courtyard of the castle, where he would lead her to the man who could take her from her boring life to in Arendelle to a new adventure across the seas.

* * *

Sir William Daladier stood up from working on papers regarding the new treaty to change into his nightclothes when he heard the soft knock at the door. "Yes?" He called, eyes narrowing.

"It's Ambrose, Father. I have the princess with me."

He smirked then. "Come in, please." He stood next to his desk, feet shoulder-width apart and his hands behind his back. His lips curled into a gentler smile when his guests made their way inside. "My dear Princess Freja, what a surprise. I assume you enjoyed your day?" By the look of her riding pants and boots, she only just arrived back at the castle.

She nodded, bangs bouncing against her forehead. "I did. Sir William, I'm not sure if Ambrose told you, but a while ago he asked me if I would like to accompany you both back to Weselton."

"Oh?" He cocked a black eyebrow, tilting his head ever so slightly in feigned interest. His eyes glanced to see Ambrose scuttling about in the darkness.

"Yes. By the display this morning I can assure you that I fully intend on joining you. I can't take life here in the castle anymore."

He noticed she'd grown bolder since their first meeting. Shoving the distressing thought to the back of his head, he instead nodded and smiled widely. "_But of course_. I would be honored if you joined us. Weselton would welcome you with open arms, Your Highness."

She brightened to hear it. "So, when do we leave?"

"Right now." He smirked to see Ambrose behind her, hefting a metal candlestick holder in the air.

"What?"

With a crack, he brought down the object on her, hitting her squarely in the back of the head. She gasped softly before collapsing to the carpeted floor unconscious. William nudged her roughly with his toe, grinning as she made no sound. "Excellent work, my boy."

Ambrose threw away the candlestick holder and looked up at his father. "You're not going to be able to convince her to use her magic for us. She's stronger than that."

"Not if she thinks her dear mother is dead." The ambassador noticed his son's aghast expression. "What the princess doesn't know will benefit us, Ambrose. Unfortunately I do not actually have time to poison the queen, but don't think the though didn't cross me." He shot a glare down at the girl before he moved to his desk. "Carry her down to the ship. I'll meet you there with our luggage and further instruction." He reached into a drawer for a fresh sheet of paper.

As the young man gathered her in his arms, he asked, "You want me to carry her all the way down to the docks?"

"She can't possibly be that heavy, my boy. She's a _princess_, for God's sake. Look how thin she is." He dabbed his pen into some ink and began scribbling a note. "If any of the staff catch you, make something up. You're good at that."

"Yes Father." Ambrose took his leave into the darkness of the corridor.

William smiled as he continued to write the note, careful to form his letters as effeminately as possible. It would have to be believable if it were to succeed. Though if the letter fooled her family or not, by the time they read it, he would be well on his way back to Weselton with Princess Freja as his captive. Not even the great Snow Queen of Arendelle could hope to stop him now.


End file.
